Term limit

A term limit is a provision of a constitution, statute or bylaw which limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. An example would be the 22nd Amendment of the United States Constitution which says that no person can be elected President more than twice. Term limits are a particularly important issue in the United States.

Arguments opposed

There are several arguments that have been made against term limits. The main opposition is that they are undemocratic in preventing certain individuals from freely running for office. Another argument made against term limits is that politicians gain skills with experience and that term limits would thus eliminate those with the most experience and skill. There has also been an argument that term-limits benefit lobbyists as it is suggested that it is easier to get favours from someone without the option of being re-elected (i.e. a lame duck) than from someone who might have to answer to the voters in the next election. An elected official who knows they will never again be allowed to face the electorate has no motivation to listen to their constituents.

Related Topics:
Lobbyist - Lame duck

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Houston City Councilmember Carol Alvarado stated that term limits affect municipal government - one noted example is the capital improvement projects (CIP) which city council districts will draft for the upcoming fiscal year where the Houston City Controller finalizes the final draft before the city council votes unanimously. CIP budgets can be passed where the successor to an incumbent continues the work, or a new CIP is drafted all over again where the original plans are scrapped. At the same time, not too many elected officials within the City of Houston gain experience, and every two years, one has to campaign while running the everyday affairs of government.

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