3 ms·

I feel like term limits would at least help prevent singular people from staying in power long enough to collect more power. It only really seems controversial

I feel like term limits would at least help prevent singular people from staying in power long enough to collect more power. It only really seems controversial with the politicians themselves, everyone else seems to be pretty for it from wherever they are on the aisle from what I've seen.

kevinmchugh 3y ago
Wikipedia has a very dire list of consequences of term limits: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Term_limits_in_the_United_States#Negative_impacts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Term_limits_in_the_United_Stat... I'm pretty against them (and not a politician) because it takes power from voters and gives it to unelected party members. Absent term limits, voters can just vote against any politician they feel has served too long.
- whatshisface 3y ago
  >Term limits have been linked to lower growth in revenues and expenditures.[105] It's always humorous when Wikipedia editorializes. I don't think everyone would agree that this sentence belongs in the negative impacts paragraph. ;-)
  - kevinmchugh 3y ago
    It's interesting that this is all on the "term limits in the US page" and not the general "term limits" page
deltarholamda 3y ago
P.J. O'Rourke once quipped about term limits something along the lines of "do you want a dog that knows where all the bones are buried, or a dog that digs up the entire yard?" It seems an easy fix, but like a lot of easy fixes you replace the known problems with unknown problems. Which doesn't mean it's not a good idea per se, but it also doesn't mean it will fix anything. For example, with term limits, it becomes even cheaper to buy a politician than it is now.
amadeuspagel 3y ago
Term limits mean that there only inexperienced politicians, easily guided by lobbyists.
- HKH2 3y ago
  Because the current bunch aren't eager to have their fingers in the pie.
- ender341341 3y ago
  I think it has to be balanced, we definitely don't want insanely low where every 2 years all of congress is brand new, but according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_members_of_the_United_States_Congress_by_longevity_of_service https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_members_of_the_United_... there has been 64 members with 40+ years of tenure within the house or senate, which I think is way to long.
  - amadeuspagel 3y ago
    Their voters don't seem to think so.

kevinmchugh 3y ago

Wikipedia has a very dire list of consequences of term limits: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Term_limits_in_the_United_States#Negative_impacts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Term_limits_in_the_United_Stat... I'm pretty against them (and not a politician) because it takes power from voters and gives it to unelected party members. Absent term limits, voters can just vote against any politician they feel has served too long.

whatshisface 3y ago
>Term limits have been linked to lower growth in revenues and expenditures.[105] It's always humorous when Wikipedia editorializes. I don't think everyone would agree that this sentence belongs in the negative impacts paragraph. ;-)
- kevinmchugh 3y ago
  It's interesting that this is all on the "term limits in the US page" and not the general "term limits" page

deltarholamda 3y ago

P.J. O'Rourke once quipped about term limits something along the lines of "do you want a dog that knows where all the bones are buried, or a dog that digs up the entire yard?" It seems an easy fix, but like a lot of easy fixes you replace the known problems with unknown problems. Which doesn't mean it's not a good idea per se, but it also doesn't mean it will fix anything. For example, with term limits, it becomes even cheaper to buy a politician than it is now.

amadeuspagel 3y ago

Term limits mean that there only inexperienced politicians, easily guided by lobbyists.

HKH2 3y ago
Because the current bunch aren't eager to have their fingers in the pie.
ender341341 3y ago
I think it has to be balanced, we definitely don't want insanely low where every 2 years all of congress is brand new, but according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_members_of_the_United_States_Congress_by_longevity_of_service https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_members_of_the_United_... there has been 64 members with 40+ years of tenure within the house or senate, which I think is way to long.
- amadeuspagel 3y ago
  Their voters don't seem to think so.