Essay Sample on Term Limits Across the World: An Overview

Introduction

Not only has the culture of term limits been practiced in the United States, but other nations across the world have also aped the same in a bid to enhance rotation in office through restrictions of periods to people serving in particular positions. In the United States, the culture is practiced in both federal and state levels dating back to the American Revolution. In the United States, legislative term limits for Congress have also led to increased legislative polarization and the skills of politicians hence their productivity.

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Placing a term limit on Congress comes with the advantages of having more time on policymaking, making unpopular and necessary decisions without fear of retaliation, and avoiding corrupt influence related to lengthy periods in certain positions. However, I think we should not place a term limit on Congress, and instead, the members can serve for more than thirty years.

Increased Incentives for Gaining Policy Expertise

Serving for more years increases the congressional capacity, skills, and knowledge of Congress members, especially in the making of policies. More years gives them the experience to learn to craft legislative proposals as compared to when they only work for a few years. For instance, it has been established that recently passed Senate tax bills have had loopholes that end up undermining the legislation hence have adverse effects on those it is applied. Therefore, the public will suffer widespread and lasting impact if inexperienced members make poor policy choices.

With a limitless number of years to serve in the Congress, members develop initiatives for gaining policy expertise. Members aware that they have much time in Congress may positively create the attitude of learning more skills and enhance their knowledge on specific issues (Welsh, 2019). The development is attributed to knowing that the skills accrued will be valuable for an extended period compared to when they realize they have a limited term. Term limits are responsible for the imposition of a tremendous brain drain to the Congress where members' capabilities are underutilized.

Increased Congressional Capacity

Secondly, working for more years ensures that an individual's talents and abilities in law-making are fully exploited in advancing legislation. It is because the members will not be forced to early retirement courtesy of consideration of their skills and effectiveness. Members' skills, talents, and experiences are thoroughly capitalized on instead of being sidelined on with less good. In most cases, kicking out of competent members out of Congress has always resulted in inefficiencies and ineffectiveness in the ins and outs of policymaking.

Many years of experience allow the members to learn and navigate the various rules and procedures to each chamber. There is also a reduction in the legislative training acumen of freshman members that would have been forced out of the door (Bandow, 2019). There is usually a likelihood that even the freshman members in Congress advocate for seeking more experienced lawmakers with at least two terms of services.

Experienced congress members are always at a further congressional learning curve with institutional clout above them. Since policymaking is a critical task, it is hard for strangers or rather those with limited terms to carry out their activities diligently and rely on by the public. Additionally, a few lawmakers with expertise and longer tenure result in deference to the executive branch and the agencies that are mandated to administer the laws daily.

References

Bandow, D. (2019, January 30). How to Term-Limit Congress. Retrieved July 04, 2020, from https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/how-term-limit-congress

Welsh, J. (2019, November 01). Spotlight: We need term limits for congress. Retrieved July 04, 2020, from https://www.pjstar.com/opinion/20191101/spotlight-we-need-term-limits-for-congress