Resumen de Rethinking retirement: ambition in term-limited legislatures
Political careerism has long focused on the idea of progressive ambition, rarely using retirements as a measure. The end of a legislator's career can reveal how term limits have changed the institution and legislative behaviour. Term limits, intended to curb legislative careers, have unintentionally led to changes in career ambition. The rate at which members retire is dependent on the type of term limit that a member faces and the institutional incentives to continue service. This comparative analysis uses retirement rates as a proxy for static, career-oriented ambition and reveals that there is a decreased probability of term-limited legislators retiring. The decreasing retirement rate indicates a lesser-known pathway for static ambition. Although ambition is typically viewed as those who move upward, it is also about those who rethink retirement and choose to continue serving.
