The United States has only had one 4 term President and thanks to term limits, that’s all the country will ever have. The idea of having those same term limits apply to Congress is being debated right now thanks to the ineffectiveness of this governing body. Here are the key points to consider when weighing the pros and cons of Congressional term limits.
The Pros of Congressional Term Limits
1. It encourages more people to get involved with the political process.
Politicians who have made serving in Congress a career that spans decades limit the ability for others to get involved with the process. Term limits require new people to run for the seat in question after a certain amount of time.
2. It limits the amount of gridlock.
Long-term politicians have sheltered themselves into a system where they protect their best interests first. Instead of serving their district or state, they’re essentially serving themselves. This results in gridlock within the governing process because everyone is basically just trying to get their own piece of the pie.
3. It encourages political growth.
If politicians have a limited amount of time to leave a lasting legacy, then they must push forward aggressively with what their district or state wants. Tight deadlines encourage innovation and political growth.
The Cons of Congressional Term Limits
1. It stops good people from continuing to serve.
There are some fantastic politicians that have represented their areas well for many years. They know what to do, how to do it, and they get the job done. Term limits force these effective folks out of office prematurely.
2. There is a higher overall cost to the process.
More people serving in Congress means more political campaigns. It means more votes to count. It means more primaries must be run. Every election has a cost associated with it and ultimately this comes out of the taxpayer wallet.
3. It breaks up alliances and partnerships.
If one politician must leave because of term limits, but another one does not, then the partnership dissolves and that causes both represented regions to start over in the political process. That could cost them programs, grants, and other forms of funding that may be badly needed.
The pros and cons of Congressional term limits show that having fresh perspectives can be beneficial, but there are costs which must be absorbed as well. Should politicians be allowed to serve indefinitely? That’s a personal decision that can only be made by weighing each pro and con.
Crystal Lombardo is a contributing editor for Vision Launch. Crystal is a seasoned writer and researcher with over 10 years of experience. She has been an editor of three popular blogs that each have had over 500,000 monthly readers.
