Should Congressmen Have Term Limits Essay

Should Congressmen and Congresswomen Have Term Limits?
Currently in the U.S. government, Congressmen and Congresswomen have terms that allow reelections after those terms finish, but no term limits. Therefore, Congressmen and Congresswomen should have term limits because it would result in diversity, citizen legislature, and competitiveness. In addition, Congressmen and Congresswomen can re elect themselves as many times as they want in the current system of the U.S. government.
Congressmen and Congresswomen having term limits will lead to diversity because open seats in Congress will bring attention to new types of people. What is meant by new types of people is when Edward H. Crane mentions in his article Congressional Term Limits on paragraph 7 Proposition 140 in California, which is limiting the state Assembly to three two year terms. This proposition made the 1992 Assembly elections result in “ In an article on that freshman class, the Los Angeles Times wrote, “ Among the things making the group unusual is that most of them are true outsiders. For the first time in years, the freshman class did not include an abundance of former legislative aides who move up the ladder to become members….Among the 27 are a

former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, a former sheriff coroner, a paralegal, a retired teacher, a video store owner, a business woman-homemaker, a children’s advocate, an interior designer, a retired Sheriff’s lieutenant, and a number of businessmen, lawyers, and former city council members.” This proves that congress members having term limits will attract new types of people, outsiders, that will want to work for congress by giving an example of how term limits for members of the state Assembly in California lead to new types of people wanting to work for the state Assembly. If an aspect of a local government having term limits will bring diversity then the federal government will too.
Term limits for Congressmen and Congresswomen will result in citizen legislature because having no term limits will lead to them staying in their office in Washington D.C. for years without traveling to other states to represent the people in the U.S. According to paragraph 6 in Edward H. Crane’s article Congressional Term Limits, it states “ Such individuals might be willing to spend two, four, or even six years in Washington, but no if the legislative agenda is being set by others, who’ve gained their authority through seniority.” This proves that no term limits for Congress members will lead to them spending years in their office without going out to represent their people when it’s one for their main jobs. Therefore, term limits will make Congress members perform one of its main roles better, representing their people.
Congressmen and Congresswomen having term limits will create competitiveness between the people running for open seats in Congress, which is a good thing.

Edward H. Crane mentions his own evidence of how term limits lead to competitiveness in his article Congressional Term Limits on paragraph 7, the evidence states “As Paul Jacob of U.S Term Limits has pointed out, the most competitive races (and the ones that bring out the largest number of primary candidacies) are for open seats.” This proves that term limits will bring out competitiveness for open seats in congress and that it is a good thing because it creates a large amount of candidates for Congressional elections. Term limits will lead to open seats in congress leading to

competitiveness.
Congressmen and Congresswomen should have term limits because it will lead to diversity, citizen legislature, and competitiveness. Term limits will lead to diversity because the state Assembly in California having term limits lead to different kinds of people wanting to work for the Assembly during state Assembly elections. Term limits will lead to citizen legislature because no term limits on congress members lead to them staying in their office in Washington for years instead of leaving their office
Partida 2
once in awhile to go represent their people in different states. Lastly, term limits will lead to competitiveness which is a good thing because it will bring out a large amount of candidates in Congressional elections. Overall, Congressmen and Congresswomen having term limits will create better results for Congress than having no term limits.