Trump tweets support of congressional term limits

[DC23]

Well, this does not mean that he's actually going to try to implement this now does it? How about that wall being built? How about the repeal of Obamacare? How about balancing the budget? How about locking Hillary Clinton up? How about increasing taxes on hedge fund managers? How's he at all "literally" doing everything that he said he would?

Alright big man, don't get angry!

 

[steveflynn]

Alright big man, don't get angry!

Well, I mean for someone to say something like that (that he's literally done everything that he said he would) a refutation which I provided was appropriate I think.

 

[Oeshon]

Well, this does not mean that he's actually going to try to implement this now does it? How about that wall being built? How about the repeal of Obamacare? How about balancing the budget? How about locking Hillary Clinton up? How about increasing taxes on hedge fund managers? How's he at all "literally" doing everything that he said he would?

Hes president, not dictator.

 

[trident]

I see... well, I am fresh out of quips today, so please explain your thesis and then I can elaborate on the cultural, political, bureaucratic, and ethical reasons for mine.

You are talking in the language of "supposed to" and "should be" yet history has shown us something quite different

 

[ScottE]

Hes president, not dictator.

I think your bar for "god tier" is pretty low if it only requires someone to tweet about something and not actually do it.

You're right he isn't a dictator but he made campaign promises like he was one. Now he can't back many of them up because low and behold you actually have to have a plan to implement policy. And he was called out on this from the beginning.

 

[Fawlty]

I'm afraid it would turn into a finishing school for lobbyists, and what we would lose in competence and statecraft would outweigh what we might theoretically gain by lowering corruption. It could significantly increase corruption, and I think it would. It also may not be constitutional. Who is the federal government to tell the states that their people cannot choose the same representative?

 

[Jack V Savage]

I'm afraid it would turn into a finishing school for lobbyists, and what we would lose in competence and statecraft would outweigh what we might theoretically gain by lowering corruption. It could significantly increase corruption, and I think it would. It also may not be constitutional. Who is the federal government to tell the states that their people cannot choose the same representative?

Yep. This is the holy grail for lobbyists.

 

[Kitafuji]

in theory I agree but it is the unintended consequences that scares me.

 

[Teen Wolf]

HITLER!!! HES HITLER!!! IMPEACH HIM!!!


....any day now...

 

[kahiljabroni]

So in four terms no one is going to know what the fuck they are doing

Double edged sword and not to be approached brashly imo

I think campaign finance reform is more important than term limits right now.

This. Congress can literally not pass a single piece of common sense legislation. Imagine how much damage they would do in their last term knowing they don’t have to run again

 

[Gunny]

Good to see Trump sticking up for one his more important campaign promises. Congressional term limits are just as necessary as presidential term limits. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, especially given enough time to manifest. While this isn't the solution to corruption it certainly is a step in the right direction.

Everyone on all sides should get on board with this.

 

[K1levelgrappler]

It's a dumb idea that sounds good to people who haven't put any real thought into it.

 

[Quipling]

On the one hand it can be quite noble to dedicate one's life to civil service, on the other hand it is even easier to be stuck in the same bureaucratic position and lord it over the civil society.

You're conflating beauracrats and legislators.

Term limits requires political thought and energy, dedicated and valuable civil servants have to keep their plans and promises, and that is generally good for a republic.

Four terms is enough for the House, two for the Senate, ECT.

There should also probably be term limits for the Supreme Court, (10 years ought to do it) but good luck on that one.

Strongly disagree. Term limiting judges makes it even easier to exercise political control over the judiciary. Individual appointments count for less, but you can remake much more of the judiciary. We can see these issues in different states with different judicial systems.

And term limiting legislators doesn't make them more accountable. It makes them less accountable: they only have to worry about 1-2 relections, need to plan for out of office, and can't make long term plans in office. If you want them to be forced to keep promises, you're better off with addressing gerrymandering and reforming the way campaigning and campaign financing work.

Now, age limits - those are something I can get behind.


Term limits help reduce accretion of influence (which is why we have them for the executive). They don't help with accountability.

 

[MMAViewer]

Without finance reform and a clause that says you can't work as a lobbies after you serve as a congressinal leader, it wouldn' make a difference.

 

[trident]

This. Congress can literally not pass a single piece of common sense legislation. Imagine how much damage they would do in their last term knowing they don’t have to run again

This too

Congress would become more mercenary than it already is

 

[ScottE]

Everyone on all sides should get on board with this.

Why? Many other posters have already pointed out that is approach does not, unless accompanied by more important reform, address the concerns that it is being put forward as addressing.

It would also create new issues regarding the experience level in the legislature. We are currently seeing the problem of a novice executive in his inability to staff positions and his lack of grasp of what exactly his powers are.

 

[usmctanker242]

So in four terms no one is going to know what the fuck they are doing

Double edged sword and not to be approached brashly imo

This is kind of where I'm torn on this subject. If you look at Trumps Whitehouse "change over" with Obama it was pretty obvious that it took his team a while get a feel of the way things operate. I think most new congressman have a similar "breaking in period" and I'm not sure if it's the best thing to force more turn over than is necessary. Really I think the people are the ones who have exacerbated the issue as they keep re-electing these people. So I'm not sure how forcing term limits solves any real world issues if the voting base was silly enough to re-elect a poor congressman.

 

[FrontNakedChoke]

The Don draining the swamp

 

[MeatheadMike]

I think term limits is one of those things that sounds better on paper than it would be in practice.

Lets say a candidate is blatantly corrupt, but is somehow managing to constantly win re-elections... I don't think the lack of term limits would be the root problem there.

 

[trident]

This is kind of where I'm torn on this subject. If you look at Trumps Whitehouse "change over" with Obama it was pretty obvious that it took his team a while get a feel of the way things operate. I think most new congressman have a similar "breaking in period" and I'm not sure if it's the best thing to force more turn over than is necessary. Really I think the people are the ones who have exacerbated the issue as they keep re-electing these people. So I'm not sure how forcing term limits solves any real world issues if the voting base was silly enough to re-elect a poor congressman.

As @headkicktoleg mentioned at beginning of thread, the real issue is campaign finance reform which could just as easily be called anti-corruption reform.

The glaring problem is these people are corrupt. But we need experienced politicians. Or perhaps a college degree in government to qualify as a candidate.

There are just too many plugs and wires and transmitters and do-hickeys in the machinery of the US government to allow rookies continual operation of it. Imo.