Pros and Cons of Term Limits Essay Example
Pros and Cons of Term Limits Essay Example

Pros and Cons of Term Limits Essay Example

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  • Pages: 5 (1119 words)
  • Published: October 11, 2016
  • Type: Essay
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Term limits have been very controversial over the years. They have been both favored and opposed. Most people are in favor of term limits because incumbents are reelected for years and years. Very few people are opposed of term limits and most of those who are work for Congress. Some very interesting arguments in term limits favor have been the fact that these politicians are making careers out of their positions are not getting anything accomplished because they have no time limit.

Experience can be both a positive and a negative to term limits. The positive being new ideas and fresh faces being in Congress. The negative would be that the more experienced legislators would be thrown out and would result in a loss of talent and waste of knowledge. More oppo

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sing theories would be that not only would term limits get rid of all the “bad apples” but it would also get rid of the better Congressmen as well. Most of Congress who oppose term limits fear that putting new people in office could wreck our government system. By shortening congressional terms, proponents hope to make sure that nobody sees becoming a congressional representative as a viable lifetime career choice, leading to more people who get into politics for noble reasons instead of a simple desire for power. ” Many politicians who have been in office for such a long time start to get comfortable. Some become known as career-politicians. If there were set terms on these politicians, then they may be more focused on getting issues resolved within an allotted amount of time. Not only are term-limit laws helping to

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diversify state legislatures, they are also allowing "regular" citizens to run for state office, say supporters. As a result, citizens--not just career politicians--are playing a large role in the political process, advocates say. ” Term limits would give everyday citizens a choice to participate in political roles instead of the same incumbents, year after year. Most voters prefer term limits. “With term limits in place, Congress will be more responsible toward their constituents because they will soon be constituents themselves.

They will have to live under the laws they have created while in office. ” Recent poll studies have shown 73% are in favor of term limits, while the other 27% work for the government. Many politicians have tried to end term limits but have not been successful. “Over the past 10 years, the movement to impose term limits on local, state and federal lawmakers has scored significant victories, particularly at the state and local level. Eighteen states currently have laws in place that restrict the number of years that state (and some local) lawmakers can stay in office.

And term limits continue to receive broad public support. In a Rasmussen poll from January 2000, 73% of respondents said they favored term limits for members of Congress, while only 20% said they oppose such measures. ” If incumbents could only serve “X” amount of years or a set amount of terms then they would care more about what they got accomplished and how much it helped out the people, because they too would have to abide by the laws they have created. Experience can be thought to be an advantage and also a

disadvantage while considering term limits.

An advantage would be bringing in fresh thinking and new ideas into the legislative environment, whereas a disadvantage would be losing knowledgeable staff and experience. An example would be the President. There have been many brilliant presidents in our country’s history that could no longer serve because of the limits, but had we not had those limits on presidency a lot of things that have happened that we needed to happen would have never been established without new leadership. Term limits would limit all of Congress which would mean that everyone would be out within a certain amount of time.

In Congress you have the good incumbents, who have worked hard in their position and have made themselves a good reputation, and then you have the bad incumbents. “There are undoubtedly some high-minded people who go into politics to serve their community or the nation. But, in the corrupting atmosphere of politics, there are too many who “came to do good and stayed to do well” — especially if they stayed too long. ” The bad, who give their names bad reputations, give citizens a reason to be in favor of term limits. Sometimes people stay in congress for a very long time, and they may become very skilled as legislators. Term limits would mean that nobody spent too much time in Congress, and after every election, there would be a huge class of rookies who wouldn't fully understand the insider tricks needed for effective legislating. Some people believe that this lack of understanding about how legislation works in a practical sense could be so disadvantageous that it

might outweigh any potential advantages of term limits in Congress. ”

Replacing of these “country supervisors” who have been in office for many years could hold some harm. Suppose the replacements are not going to do as well of a job as they promise in their campaigns or maybe even do worse than the person they are replacing. Could this possibly put our government in harm? There are a few questions that should be asked before jumping the gun to assume that term limits are in the best interest for the American Citizens. Replacing the same “old bulls” that has been in office for a good amount of time would not be much different from placing that same position every two or six years. Those who favor term limits are right to try to stop the same old politicians from staying in the same old offices for decades. But having the same career politicians circulating around in the same set of offices, like musical chairs, is not very different. ” Two years is not enough time to understand fully how our Senate in run, and six years would be barely long enough to understanding and comprehending the House of Representatives. Both points, opposing and favoring, have strong arguments. Politicians are allowed to stay in office for however long they would like if reelected.

Sometimes that makes them career politicians. The voters mostly favor term limits. Loosing knowledge held by today’s incumbents is a loss. But the gain of the new ideas and fresh thinking may just help out our government. The negatives are pulling all the congressmen out using term limits. It not

only effects the legislators with good in mind but also the bad as well. Congress oppose term limits because they worry how rookies could possibly take their positions without wrecking the government which they have helped create.

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