While a recent CBS poll registers a congressional job approval rating of 9%, the Gallup poll for November 2011 reflects a rating of 13% and is headed toward an annual average of 17%. These figures fall below two previous annual averages of 19% as well as two monthly averages of 19% and 18%.
American View of the Federal Government
Continually declining low job approval ratings are but one aspect of how Americans regard their federal government generally. Others include low ratings for confidence, honesty, ethics, and trust, in congressional members. The polls also reflect a very low overall view of their federal government.
Individually, members may receive a higher rating. Yet taken as an aggregate with those of other polls, such figures attest to a declining esteem Americans have for the manner Congress currently approaches its responsibilities. Career politicians are often said to be the problem. Proposals of term limits for congressional members are increasing .
Justification for Current Reelection Process
Some incumbents want no term limits. Legislation has repeatedly been introduced to repeal the Twenty-Second Amendment now restricting the terms of the President. Most merely oppose the limiting of terms to the Congress. They note a variety of reasons for retaining the current system including:
- Term limits expel good incumbents with bad
- Reduces voter choice range
- Knowledge and experience loss
- Increases staff, bureaucracy, lobbies power
- Congressional procedures reform is simpler
Reasons for Federal Government Term Limit Reform
Many Americans seek reform of the current reelection process. They believe restricting terms would eliminate many drawbacks to the present system, similar to those the Twenty-Second Amendment sought to remedy. The following are benefits that those favoring term limits view as beneficial:
- Overwhelming term limits is preference of voters
- Downgrades seniority, promotes meritocracy
- Increases competition, stimulates new challengers
- Builds citizen Congress with fresh thinking, ousts career politicians
- Breaks special interests ties, improves voting on principle
- Reduces staff, bureaucracy, lobbies power
- Lessens wasteful federal spending.
- Encourages lower taxes, smaller government, greater voter participation
- Reduces current 99% reelection rates, regains rates near 50%
- More reasons favor term limits, fewer against
Approaches to Term Limits
Even those who favor limiting terms in office have differing views as to how restrictive these tenures should be. Some favor the present maximum of two terms or number of years the President may now serve as the Twenty-Second Amendment specifies. Two six-year stints in the Senate and two three-year or three two-year periods in the House of Representatives are among their proposals. Many believe this would go far in reducing the negatives of the current system without eliminating the benefits of knowledge, experience, and the citizens’ right to choose.
Other proponent’s feel merely restricting multiple terms would not eradicate various reasons for seeking elimination of reelection. They assert single terms would greatly reduce the expenditure of time and tax dollars spent for reelection campaigns, although not eliminating incumbent support for favored nominees. They suggest granting the President a single six-year term; stipulating the same limit in the Senate;; and affording three years to the House of Representatives. They maintain this would retain the knowledge and experience of elected officials. In conjunction, they suggest modification or elimination of the congressional pension system that places only a five-year tenure limit to participate, although those currently in the program would be grandfathered.
Supreme Court Appointments
The President appoints justices to the Supreme Court subject to Senate confirmation. The Constitution establishes no requirements for the position. Presidents may select whomever they want. Most nominate candidates who broadly share their ideological perspectives. While a justice may make a decision contrary to presidential expectations, an appointment is likely to have long-term implications.
No tenure limitations were specified and time of vacancies is unpredictable. Lifetime expectancy was far shorter when the Constitutional Convention was held in 1787 than it is today. Appointees are usually middle aged and their time in office frequently lasts for a number of decades. Limiting justices to a designated number of years they may serve or a specified retirement age have been suggested.
Pros and Cons of Term Limits
There are both pros and cons to changing the present system of limiting terms of elected officials. There is also disagreement as to how restrictive those boundaries should be. Many Americans believe that an electoral defeat should not be necessary to show Congressional members the door.
Nevertheless, as congressional job approval ratings are achieving ever declining figures, widespread popular disfavor with incumbent politicians may come to the establishment of some form of term restrictions. These would supplement or eliminate Americans ousting incumbents and rewarding challengers, as in power as in the 2008 and 2010 elections.
Sources:
- Gallup Poll (November 14, 2011) website “Congress' Job Approval Entrenched at Record Low of 13%” by Frank Newport, gallup.com, accessed 20 November 2011
- Polling Report website “Congress: Job Ratings”, pollingreport.com, accessed 20 November 2011
- Tenure Corrupts website “ARGUMENTS PRO and CON for the enactment of Congressional Term Limits” (condensed), tenurecorrupts.com, accessed 20 November 2011
- First Read, NBC News Political Unit website (September 16, 2010) website “Should members of Congress have term limits?” by Carrie Dann and Ken Strickland, firstread.msnbc.msn.com, accessed 20 November 2011
Keywords: Congress,Term Limits,Low Job Approval,Federal Government
