Presidential Term Limits: Pro Essay, Research Paper

TERM LIMITS: PRO

“Elections, especially of representatives and counselors, should be annual, there not being in the whole circle of the sciences a maxim more infallible than this, ‘where annual elections end, there slavery begins.’ These great men . . . should be [chosen] once a year — Like bubbles on the sea of matter bourn, they rise, they break, and to the sea return. This will teach them the great political virtues of humility, patience, and moderation, without which every man in power becomes a ravenous beast of prey.” —John Adams

Government exists to serve the people, and not the politicians, American citizens know this. Polls show that Americans want term limitation by margins as high as three-to-one, even four-to-one. Congressional term limitation is the most important issue of our time because the future direction of our country depends upon it. There is no other way to restore government to, us, the people. There is no substitute for term limits. There are many second steps, depending upon where you sit, but there is only one first step toward turning the country around. It is congressional term limitation.

There are many arguments for and against term limits. I am personally 100 percent for them. Many people think that with term limits we would lose experience, maturity, and knowledge of the workings of Congress. However, this is not correct. The workings of Congress need not be nearly so complex as careerists would have us think. However, great pains have been exerted to give us that impression. A term-limited Congress could get the nation’s business accomplished in a fraction of the time that it takes now, with all the posturing, posing, ego trips and headline-grabbing. And a term-limited Congress could streamline all the procedures. As for experience we would be better off without some of it. What is needed is experience in the real world life experiences from new blood, with fresh ideas. With term limits, congressional staff people would gain control, is another widely used argument against term limits. The fallacy of that argument is that the staff people already have control. Through the years, Congress has abdicated it to them. Committee staffs write the legislation, and members’ staffs read it, then tell members what’s in it. Members themselves rarely read what they vote on. In a country where ignorance of the law is no excuse, members of Congress are often ignorant of many of the provisions of laws they vote on. Congress and its members could regain control from the staffs right now, if they had the will. They don’t have the will. A term limited Congress that had the will could get control of the staffs in a very short period of time. There is nothing difficult about it.

Finally, I will give you a short list of what term limits will do for our country, and I am sure you will find them all to be positive changes. These changes include, but are not limited to the following:

? It will lead to regaining control of our Federal Government.

? It will lead to a citizen Congress, with a fresh attitude of service.

? It will start the process of lifting the yoke of oppressive, elitist bureaucracy from the backs of productive, tax-paying citizens.

? It will start the process of lifting the burden of inherited debt from the backs of our children and those who follow them.

? It will lead to the addressing of America’s problems from an honest perspective.

? It will lead to the people getting their country back.

For these reasons, we consider term limits to be the preeminent issue before the country today not so much for what it will accomplish by itself, as for what it will make possible. To change the government requires a lot of effort. Term limits is something that wont be done by the politicians. It will be done by people like you and I.

“The more secure an officeholder, the more his interests would diverge from those of his constituents.” —Andrew Jackson