FREE ESSAY ON PRESIDENTIAL TERM LIMITS: PRO

PRESIDENTIAL TERM LIMITS: PRO

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