by David Giza

Created on: June 15, 2008

I disagree that senators and congressmen should have a term limit because, essentially, we have one already. They are called elections. No one to my knowledge runs unopposed. A voter has two and sometimes more choices to decide. The real problem is with the American voting public. They complain but few participate. Who are the people that complain the most? The people who are in the minority. What do I mean by that? People who are liberal and are living in a conservative state or vice versa.

Although I agree that most senators and congresspeople don't represent the interests of the average, ordinary American citizen; placing term limits on them isn't the answer to improving democracy. Ordinary citizens are much too cynical and have a defeatist attitude concerning politics. Why don't they study the issues and know the positions of these politicians? Why don't they attend meetings when the senator or representative is back home from Washington, D.C.? Does anyone stop to think that the reason we have so much corruption in politics is because people don't hold them accountable? Participating in voting is one of the easiest ways to hold these people accountable for their votes.

A much better way to have competent and caring politicians rather than having term limits is the following: all types of political advertising should be free. From signs, mailings, bumper stickers, newspaper, magazine, internet and radio + television advertising should be free. In this way, challengers would have equal footing with the incumbent. The challengers would be able to get their messages out and the public would be able to make an informed decision.

Some people might argue that senators and representatives should have term limits because the president has one. I believe that the founding fathers had this because they thought that the president has more power than the legislative branch of government. Essentially, this is true. In terms of war, any president can stop or start a war without congressional authorization. Although a president is supposed to abide by the War Powers Act, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan were undeclared wars.

If more people voted in this country, I believe that senatorial and congressional corruption would dramatically lessen. The people have to hold the politicians' feet to the fire. The United States doesn't need more laws or regulations regarding voting. It needs more participation from the voting public.

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