Democrats, Republicans and Independents - All agree!

[florida.bob]

Originally Posted by okccowboy

Congress consistently has low approvals regardless of who is in control. Source:

RealClearPolitics - Election Other - Congressional Job Approval

It is OK(no pun intended) to realize there is a problem. But what do we do about it? Would Congressional term limits help? If so, how could that be accomplished?

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by florida.bob

It is OK(no pun intended) to realize there is a problem. But what do we do about it? Would Congressional term limits help? If so, how could that be accomplished?

The President has term limits, why can't congress?

For those who are so unhappy with your representatives, why not vote them out? No, you just keep re-electing them? Who is at fault for our unhappiness if we are unhappy? It is the voter who will not cross party lines, that is part of it.

Nita

[irspow]

Couldn't term limits make congressmen even LESS accountable? Isn't the incentive of being reelected one of the few possible reasons why an official might actually try to serve their constituents. Imagine how self-interested they could be if it was guaranteed that they would only serve say one term. Get in, do my thing, and get out. At least now, they have to try to trick us into believing that they are doing good things to get elected again... Just thinking outside the box.

[okccowboy]

Originally Posted by florida.bob

It is OK(no pun intended) to realize there is a problem. But what do we do about it? Would Congressional term limits help? If so, how could that be accomplished?

Reformers during the early 1990s used the initiative and referendum to put congressional term limits on the ballot in 23 states. Voters in every one of these states approved the congressional term limits by an average electoral margin of two to one.
Republicans made term limits part of their "Contract with America" in 1994. Yet in the end they failed to get the votes from their own party to pass a constitutional amendment. In May 1995, the United States Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton, 514 U.S. 779 (1995) that states cannot impose term limits upon their federal representatives or Senators.
So defeated in Congress and the SCOTUS the issue died.