Congressional Term Limits

This policy initiative proposes Congressional term limits. The three issues to be addressed, include;

1. imposing term limits;

2. acknowledging pareto inefficiency;

3. addressing incumbency advantage.

First—term limits must be imposed on Congress; preserving the natural rights of the citizen, bolstering civic morale, and placing the commonwealth above the needs of the politician. A flourishing polis requires consensual civic morale, contingent on public policy; thus limiting exploitation—incumbent Representatives needn’t campaign for re-election, (Mat 24:36); civic engagement increases with a wider variety of candidates, (Rasmussen; PewResearch; Gallup).

Second—pareto inefficiency, id est the observable rampant government spending without consideration of; and in blatant opposition to the will of the constituent; yet man presupposes intrinsic discernment, thus he must resist, (Gen 3:22). Historically, power corrupts; producing policy that opposes the will of some constituents. Neglecting the constituent’s interests by controlling the pareto efficiency of policy against those funding the operation is inefficient. American public policy musn’t neglect the public, (2 Cor 11:13-15). The power of the Federal Reserve must be reduced by sanction; precluding the plummeting of the dollar.

Third—this policy must address America's incumbency advantage. An alarming eighty-five percent of incumbent politicians have historically been re-elected without question, audit, or civic contest. An incumbency advantage is achieved through demagoguery; gerrymandering, special interest groups, manipulating the invisible hand, and political warfare tactics—divergent from the interests of the American citizenry. Congressional public approval sits at its lowest point on record—but the annual salary has continued its ascent; since it was first recorded in 1964, the U.S. House reelection rate has never fallen below eighty-five percent (85%), (OpenSecrets); these harrowing statistics warrant a revision of Congressional term limits.

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Bibliography

Academy4SC. (Accessed on March 19^th, 2024). Incumbency Advantage: Just Keep Winning. Academy 4SC. https://academy4sc.org/video/incumbency-advantage-just-keep-winning/

Gallup. (Accessed on March 24^th, 2024). Neither Party Well-Liked, but GOP Holds Advantage on Issues. https://news.gallup.com/poll/511979/neither-party-liked-gop-holds-advantage-issues.aspx

OpenSecrets. (Accessed on March 19^th, 2024). Incumbent politicians enjoy record reelection in an aging Congress. OpenSecrets. https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2023/10/incumbent-politicians-enjoy-record-reelection-in-aging-congress/

OpenSecrets. (Accessed on March 19^th, 2024). Reelection Rates Over the Years. OpenSecrets. https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/reelection-rates

PewResearch. (Accessed on March 24^th, 2024). Do Political Parties Represent Interests of People? Could a Third Party or Independent Candidate Help? | Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/09/19/how-well-the-major-parties-represent-americans-the-publics-feelings-about-more-political-parties/

PewResearch. (Accessed on March 24^th 2024). About 1 in 4 Americans Have Negative Opinion of Both Biden and Trump. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/03/19/about-1-in-4-americans-have-unfavorable-views-of-both-biden-and-trump/

RasmussenReports. (Accessed on March 24^th, 2024). Voters Say Neither Major Party Represents Them - Rasmussen Reports. https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/august_2019/voters_say_neither_major_party_represents_them

Statista. (Accessed on March 19^th, 2024). Congressional Salaries U.S. 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1362153/congressional-salaries-us/

Statista. (Accessed on March 19^th, 2024). U.S. Congress Public Approval Rating 2024. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/207579/public-approval-rating-of-the-us-congress/