Extendable Term Limits

There is a chronic problem with politics. It's the power of the incumbent. Once someone is elected to office, the chances of the candidate being unseated by a challenger decreases with each successful reelection. The consensus is, that this often leads to complacency, to laziness, and even to graft.

Many state governments have therefore instituted laws that limit the length of time an official may serve. Efforts at implementing these controls in D.C., however, have uniformly failed, with the exception of the Commander-In-Chief; he/she is limited to two terms.

Political observers, however, have noted these limits are not entirely a good thing. Edmund Burke pointed out that skillful governance is a trade, a profession even; there is much to learn about running government. It takes at least two years for most elected freshmen to learn even the basics of a job. To learn enough to move into a position of real effectiveness may take 10 years or more.

Louisiana is one of the states to have chosen to limit the years that elected officials may serve. This has caused a re-shuffling of anyone and everyone with long-term experience, and a lot of our hardest working representatives have lost elections, or have simply chosen to leave public service. So it appears that the only real experience left among the elected personnel, may be the UN-elected personnel, the bureaucrats and the hired representatives of special interest groups. Not exactly an improvement, that.

Another problem is the nasty partisanship we see. The infighting has reached levels not seen for decades, to the point that effective governance has become a side-show, a secondary concern. Everyone is so busy trying to make the other guy wrong, that no one knows what is right anymore. At a point that the Soviet Union no longer divides the world, at a time that America could be leading the world in fighting oppression and suffering, we are simply fighting with each other instead.

So here's a suggestion that might address both problems: Extendable Term Limits. When a candidate reaches the end of standard term limits, he/she may run again-- IF a consensus (private) vote of the body in which the candidate serves permits it. The first post-limit try, the candidate needs a simple majority. But every election after that, the required consensus increases by 3%. So first post-limit permission requires more than 50% of the concerned house; next time, more than 53%; then 56%, and so on.

And for the executive office, perhaps candidacy beyond the basic term limits would require those percentages of both houses.

This has some very positive outcomes. Backbiting is punished, cooperation is rewarded. Politicians have to decide if they want to play hardball and settle for a few quick wins and then leave; or if they wish to really work at governance, at collaboration, and at consensus-building. I suspect the best and the brightest will choose the latter.

And the politicians who prefer ugly games will find themselves out of office, but quick. They will serve their terms, and be gone.

The very best people we produce will rise, and serve as an example to all who follow. Those with skill, and vision, and a passion for democracy, will quickly grow in stature and respect. And the length of time they serve will be in direct correlation to their talents.

Italian Article Marketing Directory: http://www.articolando.com

Josh Skandar writes for booksXYZ.com, the non-profit bookstore listing over 3,000,000 books. His current recommendation is Inherit the Atchafalaya, a photographic and written introduction to the people and nature of Louisiana's Atchafalaya Basin.

Vota l'articolo

Not yet Rated

Clicca sulla icona XML per ricevere Politics and Government Via RSS!

Altri articoli - Home | English Articles | Politics And Government

Carbon Emission Trading, The Basics Explained - By : Dwayne Strocen
Political Unrest in Thailand - By : Christopher Snyder
World Magazine - By : Magazineland
Your Introduction To The Global Warming Debate - By : Randolph Lindquist
Ways To Get Government Assistance For Single Mothers - By : May Stern
Returning to Bondage - By : Kenrick Cleveland
Robert Walpole's political style stabilized Great Britain in the 18th Century - By : Daniel Cuts
Fossil Fuels, not Biofuels? - By : Josh Skandar
Facts about Civil War medicine - By : Ken Stover
12 21 2012 - End of the World? - By : Kenneth Patrick

Registrati per scrivere articoli
Scrivi Articolo
Articoli più popolari
Guida per inserimento articolo
Notifica E-zine
Articoli RSS Feeds

	Stampa l'articolo
	Aggiungi ai favoriti
	Segnala via email
	Ezine Ready

Contattaci
Directory
Ultime Notizie
Video Anni 80
Sigle Cartoni Animati
Video Musicali
Video Canzone

realizzazione siti cagliari| creazione siti sardegna