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The Importance Of Term Limits On Congress

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The United States has three branches of government, one of which is the Legislative Branch. In the Legislative branch consists The House of Representatives, and the Senate, together they form what’s known as Congress. Times change, so should American politicians! Many people assume the power in the government lies with the president---it lies with Congress. Congress holds the power to declare wars, write laws, impeach the president, levies taxes, and controls most of the government’s spending (Phillips, Todd). Congressmen and women, once sworn in, serve two years before another candidate can be re-elected, but most of Congress spend term after term in power. The U.S and congressional districts don’t thrive under extensive time in office. That’s why Congress needs term limits, they spend too long in office. Corruption reeks in American politics, the longer politicians stay in office the “swamp” grows even larger in Washington D.C. Change is what brings new opportunities, and new opportunities are scarce within the U.S because Congress is the problem. …show more content…

One of the most well-known attempts to try to put term limits on Congress was during the Republican Revolution during 1994 when the GOP took control of Congress midterm elections. Term limits were apart of the Republican Contract with America, it called for the withdrawal of career politicians through a vote part of the Citizen Legislature Act (Murse, Tom). Of course, all have been unsuccessful. Trying to put term limits on Congress has been an ideology that has been around for a long time, and Congress has always

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In the aftermath of the first real wave of retiring legislators, supporters and opponents have debated on the benefits and detriments of term limits and neither side could come to a conclusion. In Maine where term limit restrictions resulted in a legislature comprised of 40% first term members resulted in the state’s budget being passed in march, the earliest in the state’s history. Supporters saw this as an example that members were working harder and were being more effective, while detractors saw the early budget as inexperienced legislators were passing proposals with inadequate understanding and scrutiny. Supporters emphasize the annual turnover increase in both chambers since the adoption of Proposition 140, as well as the significant increase in the number of members retiring voluntarily before they were 'termed-out '. Supporters are also quick to point out the increase in minority and women legislators increased as had been predicted.

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Arkansas amended their state constitution in 1992 to impose term limits on their legislators. Amendment 73, Section 3 prohibited people who served in the House of Representatives for three or more terms and people who served in the Senate for two or more terms from appearing on the ballot for reelection. Ray Thornton, a six-term House representative, challenged the amendment against U.S. Term Limits, Inc., a national advocacy group. The Arkansas State Supreme Court held Section 3 of Amendment 73 violated Article I of the Constitution. U.S. Term Limits Inc. appealed to the Supreme Court.

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In consecutive term limits, a legislator is limited to serving a particular number of years in a chamber. After meeting the limit in that chamber, he or she may run for election to a different chamber or

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If someone is in office for so long, finding someone that is as skilled as that person to take over could be a challenge. It could be hard for someone to quickly become successful in that term limit due to a limited amount of time. New members coming in could also mean that they won’t be quite as educated on all the legislation that has happened. This can cut how much time that person actually gets to spend in Congress because they have to learn more material. This would leave very few congress people that could actually legislate.

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There are many differing views on the powers congress holds, and congress itself, one such point of view is on whether or not congressmen should have a limited number of terms they are capable of serving, similar to how the president is only capable of serving two terms, and whether or not it would benefit both the people and the government. Congress itself is the legislative branch of the federal government, and as such holds a large amount of authority and power, including putting laws into effect, declaring war, taxing, impeachment, and many other important duties that can be carries out only by congress. Furthermore, members of congress do not have limits on the amount of terms they are allowed to serve, only limits on the length of each term, for those in the house of representatives each term is two years, while in the senate, each term is six years long. I find this to be a matter of public concern because many

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According to an article by Robert Longley, if there were term limits for congress there would be less experience and also you would be limiting the members that have not became corrupt. The article also states that new members would bring in more fresh ideas to congress. Applying no term limits for the members of congress is unconstitutional

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A lot of people believe that getting a congressman they do not like voted out is a myth. This is because in the past as well as now, the majority of some districts do not pay enough attention to know that someone does not deserve their position. Although, this is a means of civic

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“When politicians know they must return to ordinary society and live under the laws passed while they are in Congress, they will think more carefully about the long-term effects of the programs they support” (Meiner 1992). If an elected officer has to live underneath the laws they have passed, in office they will focus more on what they believe will benefit them when they become a citizen instead of passing laws that they would never have to live under. With some politicians becoming too comfortable with their power, the idea of them having to become regular, American citizens will make them rethink how what they are supporting. Term limits have a positive effect on elected officials and laws being passed. “Basham notes that, there appears to be a positive relationship between term limits and fiscal conservatism.

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If the seat the candidate is running for is filled by an incumbent the chances of that candidate winning go way down, as incumbents have a reelection rate of 95% since the 1990’s (Congressional Elections Candidates, 10). However there is a chance that the candidate challenging the incumbent might win, due to the incumbent leaving office to run for a higher office, also known as progressive ambition (Congressional Elections Candidates, 10). If this or if the incumbent would retire, be dismissed, or dies in office, the race would become an open-seat election. These races are usually very competitive as it gives ways to new potential politicians to becoming an elected official (Congressional Elections Candidates, 11). Along with this all candidates need to think of districting changes and scandals as these help open and close elections for

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Overall, as the Majority Leader of Arkansas State, I believe that Congress members should have a set term limit. I fully believe what the twenty-second Amendment says and that we should follow it up adding Congress members

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Others should follow Sam Brownback’s example and allow a new change of people and new ideas. According to The Washington Post, 85% of Congressmen are re-elected.

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