Term Limits For Legislators Essay examples -- essays research papers

Term Limits For LegislatorsWhen the Constitution of the United States was adopted in 1789, it waswithout direction regarding terminal limits for legislators. At the time, schoolmaster politicians were unheard of, and the idea of someone serving formore than one or two terms was unlikely. So the Constitution did not formallyaddress the wall socket of term limits, although it was understood that officeholderswould limit themselves to one or two terms and then return to private life (1).With the advent of the modern state, however, came the making of coitus as ac atomic number 18er, and thus the voluntary removal of oneself from office, as envisioned bythe founders, is no longer regularly undertaken in the United States sexual intercourse.The structure of the Congress supports members who have held office for severalterms thereby undermining the idea of the citizen-legislator put forth by thefounders. Instead of citizens who will soon return to the community that pick out them, pro fessional Congress-people spend more time in Washington than int heir home states, and usually make Congress their career. What has developedin recent years, in response to congressional careerism, is the drive to imposelimits on the length of time someone may serve in Congress. Currently,advocates of term limits are calling for two terms in the Senate, and three inthe House. It is possible, then, for a member to serve six years in the House,twelve years in the Senate, eight years as Vice President, and eight years asPresident, a total of thirty-six years. It is not unlikely, therefore, thatthere will continue to be career politicians. The young is not about total timethat one may participate in government, rather it is about how long one mayserve in a particular capacity. Term limits enjoy popular, but not political,support, thereby polarizing the electorate and the elected. This paper willdiscuss the popular support for term limits, the arguments on both sides, anddraw conclusio ns about the need for Congressional term limits in the UnitedStatesSupport for term limits encompasses close to three-quarters of theAmerican population (2). The scruple is why. The simple answer is that theAmerican people no longer trust a system they view as corrupt and biased towardsthe few. But the issue is really not this simple, nor is its basis of support.While on the surface it is corruption and bias... ...s Path to aRepresentative Congress" U.S. Term Limits Foundation Outlook serial publication July, 1994Vol.3 No.2 www.termlimits.org/index.shtmlFund, John H "Term Limitation An Idea Whose Time Has Come" Policy AnalysisNo. 141 October 30, 1990 www.cato.org/pubs/pas/policyanalysis.html"Term Limits Excellent New Strategy" The Florida generation Union October 1, 1996www.termlimits.org/index.shtmlJacob, Paul "Choosing Term Limits" The Washington Times August 7, 1996www.termlimits.orgJacob, Paul "Whose Government is it Anyway?" www.termlimits .org/index.shtmlKolbe, John "Term Limits Sledgehammer" Phoenix Gazette June 7, 1996www.termlimits.orgLevine, Herbert M. Point-Counterpoint Readings in American Government St.Martins Press, New York. 1995Nelson, Lars-Erik "A Very Special Class of Federal Employee" The WashingtonPost January 5, 1996 www.termlimits.org/index.shtmlOConnor, Karen and Larry J. Sabato American Government Roots and ReformAllyn and Bacon, Massachusetts. 1996Petracca, watch "The Poison of Professional Politics" Policy Analysis No. 151May 10, 1996 www.cato.org/pubs/pas/policyanalysis..html