For a long time I did not fully agree with the thought that there should be term limits for Congress even as it was discussed as a solution to the ills of this institution. It seemed obvious to me that term limits already existed for all intents and purposes because voters can always vote their respective members of Congress out of office. If the elected officials were not acting in the best interest of their constituencies, and the country in general, then they would not be reelected. My thinking has since changed on this issue because we Americans have proven apathetic over and over again when it comes to our Government. We currently have a Congress with a single digit approval rating, but it is likely that most incumbents will still be reelected again by wide margins. Members of Congress become entrenched in their offices and it is just easier to keep voting them in than be forced to evaluate a new candidate. We repeatedly choose this path of least resistance at the expense of our own welfare and future.

An important concept that has been forgotten is that our legislature is supposed to be comprised of citizen-legislators that stay connected with the “real world” of their constituents, not become disconnected career politicians that serve as their own special interest. Also, not only staying in tune with those they represent, but they should also have to return to the private sector and live with the results of their acts in Congress, this would provide strong incentive to serve in the interest of the people and not just themselves. The system easily allows a career to be made in Congress because once elected there is a very high chance of reelection mostly due to public apathy, lack of funds within a competitor’s campaign, or political action committees that heavily favor incumbents. Limiting them to specific terms has the advantage of promoting urgency in the legislative process due to a known time constraint that would be mandated. It also serves as a motivation for future candidates knowing that the current elected officials are time limited, thus unseating them is not viewed as hopeless.

The longer a member stays in Congress and avoids returning to the private sector the easier it becomes to lose touch with the citizens as taxpayers, thus creating bureaucracy becomes customary and with it financial discipline is abandoned. It becomes beneficial to use taxpayer money to buy and retain power by positioning themselves as overlords of our money and the economy. It is through this process that corruption and actual contempt for common Americans starts raising its ugly head. The belief sets in that they are above the law and any accountability to the people because they view themselves as superior and untouchable. Mandating a system that rotates citizens through Congress would go a long way to mitigating these destructive behaviors and practices from becoming established within this institution. It may even become an honor to serve in Congress once again and attend to issues on the people’s behalf, plus the image of doing so would be greatly enhanced thus attracting future candidates.

There is opposition to the idea of limiting terms for members of Congress as expressed in the often cited argument stating that we would be replacing experienced members for others with less ability. This somehow would lessen the effectiveness of a Congressional body that continually displays incompetence, corruption, and disrespect for our citizens. Could it really be any worse if you randomly selected someone from the public at large taking into consideration our abysmal approval of Congress and our level of distrust for them? Occasionally a good member will have to resign their seat to make room for a new person, but overall it seems worth it because they will bring new ideas and ways of thinking that will keep it energized. It does not need to be onerous, perhaps a reasonable limit would be two terms for Senators and five terms for Representatives giving them about 10-12 years total, and then rotate them out to the private sector to live with the consequences of their legislation. This seems sensible and not overly strict, but it just might be the perfect remedy to alleviate the diminishing result our present system provides us, and have the effect of instilling honesty while serving “We the People” of this nation.