Out with the old in with the new
Are term limits a good idea?
Should there be limits on how long politician’s can remain in office? The majority of states now impose term limits on their governors and many people would like to see similar limits placed on officials elected for federal office. Public support for these sorts of laws has always been high and 23 states had passed laws imposing term limits on their U.S. Congressional representatives before the Supreme Court declared these restrictions unconstitutional in 1995. Now, the Tea Party, “with its roots in anti-Washington sentiment,” has become the newest advocates for term limits and has helped reignite the debate over this contentious issue. Both supporters and critics of term limits cite the importance of representative and effective government but they are divided over whether term limits would help us achieve these goals.
Those in favor of term limits point to the overwhelming advantages that incumbents have in elections. In 2008, 94% of incumbents in the House of Representatives were re-elected. Those already in office are able to send out free mailing to their constituents, and are usually able to raise more money than their competitors. Term limits could be a way to create more competitive elections in which elected officials are more directly accountable to their constituents. Additionally, many believe that shorter terms would prevent politicians from falling under the influence of special interests and large corporate donations.
Critics respond that if voters are tired of incumbents they have the power to vote them out office. The way to make politicians more accountable to their constituents is not by limiting people’s ability to vote for whom they want. They also worry that with shorter tenures in office. politicians would not have the time to develop important political skills. These less experienced politicians could be more prone to manipulation by lobbyists who would remain in Washington for decades while elected officials rotated in and out of office.
I’m curious as to what our readers have to say? Do you think the benefits of term limits would outweigh the consequences? And which do you think better represents the essence of democratic government, imposing term limits in order to make politicians more accountable or preserving the ability of citizens to vote for whomever they want. Regardless of how one feels, it is certainly an interesting phenomenon that the same Americans who seem to overwhelmingly approve of term limits also vote incumbents back into office over and over again.
-Luke
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