Term Limits

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

http://www.debate.org/term-limits/

Term limits ensure that elected public officials cannot remain in power indefinitely. They do this by putting a restriction on the number of terms someone may be elected to a public office. Some term limit provisions only restrict the number of consecutive terms a leader may serve; others limit the total number of terms over a lifetime. Lifetime terms limits are much more restrictive, since an official may never again be a candidate for an office in which she or he has served the limit of terms. On the other hand, a limit to serving consecutive terms means a politician could conceivably be re-elected to the same seat over and over as long as there was a break in between each period of service.

The practice of term limits goes back at least as far as Ancient Greece and Rome, both societies which had elected officials rather than a royal family or a theocracy. Several modern presidential republics also enforce term limits on a variety of offices. For example, Mexico limits its president to one term of six years' duration, and its congress people cannot serve consecutive terms. The Russian Federation limits consecutive terms for its president to no more than two.

In the United States, term limits date back to the colonial period, when William Penn provided for triennial rotation of the upper house of the colonial legislature in his Pennsylvania Charter of Liberties. Currently, the President of the United States can only serve two terms as provided for in Amendment 22 to the Constitution, but there are no restrictions on terms for the Vice-President or for members of Congress. There have, however, been calls for the introduction of term limits for other national offices in an effort to prevent one person, such as William Byrd in West Virginia or Teddy Kennedy in Massachusetts, from virtually holding an elected position for life.

Within the United States, policies on term limits for officials elected to state or local offices vary, with some localities enforcing them and others having no such policy. Term limits are less common in countries that have a parliamentary republic rather than a presidential one, since the head of state often does not have a set term of office at all; instead, he or she can be taken out of power at any time upon losing the confidence and support of the parliament. However, even in a parliamentary system, some officials who serve a particular term may have the amount of time they can hold office limited.

Opponents of Term Limits

Critics in the term limit debate claim that they can be arbitrary and end up preventing the best person for a job from serving in it; at times, experience is more important than fresh perspectives. Constant transition in leadership can stall legislation and public works projects before anyone benefits from them. In fact, over the history of the United States, term limits have, at times, been relaxed in order to allow a particularly strong leader to stay in power in a crisis situation, as in the case of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Proponents of Term Limits

Proponents in the term limit debate argue that they ensure a wider range of perspectives in government and prevent power from being consolidated in one person, which could easily happen due to the popularity or privilege of a particular individual. Term limits offer an automatic check on consolidation of power.

Thoughts?

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

I say everyone gets two 4 year terms like the president and thats it. You wont see the hundreds of millions being spent on campaigns anymore thats for sure.

 

[Dee]

I say everyone gets two 4 year terms like the president and thats it. You wont see the hundreds of millions being spent on campaigns anymore thats for sure.

This.

Experience my ass! It's not more important than fresh ideas. Those old farts campaigning for more money for themselves are just trying to pull excuses out their backsides for why they don't get booted out of office faster.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Before we enact term limits, I would require any person who wants to hold a political office to spend at least 4 years in the military first.  Most especially any person who wants to be President.  If you are the Commander in Chief, you have to have been there, been a part of the service before you can command the military.

Then enact term limits.  2 terms, at the most, for ANY and EVERY office, period, no exceptions.

We do not disagree much but on this I do strongly. If that were the case we would not have had Madison and Jefferson as presidents. And also John Adams my favorite of the founders but he did not make a good president. And a few other good ones along the way. Hell one of our most corrupt presidents was Grant a civil war hero and legendary general.

 

[DrLeftover]

We HAVE term limits.

EVENTUALLY, even some old pathetic hack like Harry Reid will assume room temperature.

And then some younger even more corrupt flaming assclown can move into his office.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

We HAVE term limits.

EVENTUALLY, even some old pathetic hack like Harry Reid will assume room temperature.

And then some younger even more corrupt flaming assclown can move into his office.

It's just that it takes way to long if we are waiting for room temp.

 

[DarkFury]

I think there should be term limits on the Supreme Court.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

I think there should be term limits on the Supreme Court.

I have gone back and forth over the years on that one. Right now I am in the I agree.

 

[DrLeftover]

How about: ONE six year term as Assclown in Chief, no re-up, one and done.

Two Six Year Terms in the Upper Chamber of the Congressional Septic Tank. (12 total, then you go home)

THREE two year terms in the Lower Cesspool. (do six and you may run for Senate unless you are in prison)

One Ten Year Term, rotated through the seven 'justices' so every year or so, one is out and another starts, on the Obama Political Agenda Affirmation Court.