Should Congress Have Term Limits?
Term Limits
Congressman should only be allowed to serve two consecutive terms. Just about every time the issues of term limits appear on local or state election ballots, it passes. (Priest) The most important argument when it comes to term limits has to be what the voters want. In this case the voters obviously are in favor of term limits. Having term limits would allow Congress to be infused with new people and new ideas. It would instantly get rid of the “career politician”. The new legislators would have a sense of urgency to get results and would have better ideas of the challenges that ordinary Americans face every day. (Siefman) A country cannot be a democracy in theory. In order for this country to live up its creed and to do what the constitution says we have to have term limits on our legislators. Without term limit this country is nothing less than a dictatorship disguised as democracy.
Allowing legislators to serve more than two terms can lead to what is referred to as a “seniority system”. In theory, each member of Congress has one vote and that vote is supposed to represent the wishes of the people that he or she represents. With the seniority system that is not always the case (Siefman). Senior Congressmen often use their influence to swing votes in their favor; when this happens, the American people …show more content…
As a result the American people have stopped turning out to vote. Voters have a feeling of apathy because it is almost impossible to defeat an incumbent Congressman especially if he or she is well funded by lobbyist and special interest groups. Term limits would restore America’s faith in the democratic process and give the common man a chance to serve his or her country.
Congressman should only be allowed to serve two consecutive terms. Just about every time the issues of term limits appear on local or state election ballots, it passes. (Priest) The most important argument when it comes to term limits has to be what the voters want. In this case the voters obviously are in favor of term limits. Having term limits would allow Congress to be infused with new people and new ideas. It would instantly get rid of the “career politician”. The new legislators would have a sense of urgency to get results and would have better ideas of the challenges that ordinary Americans face every day. (Siefman) A country cannot be a democracy in theory. In order for this country to live up its creed and to do what the constitution says we have to have term limits on our legislators. Without term limit this country is nothing less than a dictatorship disguised as democracy.
Allowing legislators to serve more than two terms can lead to what is referred to as a “seniority system”. In theory, each member of Congress has one vote and that vote is supposed to represent the wishes of the people that he or she represents. With the seniority system that is not always the case (Siefman). Senior Congressmen often use their influence to swing votes in their favor; when this happens, the American people …show more content…
As a result the American people have stopped turning out to vote. Voters have a feeling of apathy because it is almost impossible to defeat an incumbent Congressman especially if he or she is well funded by lobbyist and special interest groups. Term limits would restore America’s faith in the democratic process and give the common man a chance to serve his or her country.