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Term Limit Essay

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John Dingell, a member of the United States House of Representatives, served fifty-nine years and twenty-one days at this position. With no term limits set for the federal legislative positions in the United States, is this representation becoming redundant? Term limits can potentially be crucial in political reform of the United States that would bring new perspectives to federal legislative positions, warrant regular federal legislative turnover, and reduce incentives for wasteful election-related federal spending. Term limits can also pervert the entire understanding of what democracy is, by substituting the people’s will with term limits that may go against what the people want. United States federal legislative term limits have previously …show more content…

This amendment is known as the “Term Limitation Amendment,” in addition to limiting terms of elected officials within the Arkansas state government, the amendment also stated that any person having served three or more terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas would no longer be eligible for re-election as a United States Representative from Arkansas. The amendment also provided that any person who has served two or more terms as a member of the United States Senate from Arkansas would be ineligible for re-election as a United States Senator from Arkansas. Arkansas justified their 73rd amendment by citing the tenth amendment of the United States Constitution. Using the residual clause, Arkansas argued that the states had the power to limit terms. The Supreme Court, in a five to four decision, ruled against Arkansas. The court justified their ruling by showing that the Constitution prohibits states from adopting Congressional qualifications in addition to those enumerated. A state congressional term limits amendment is unconstitutional if it has the likely effect of handicapping a class of candidates and "has the sole purpose of creating additional qualifications indirectly." Furthermore, "...allowing individual States to craft their own congressional qualifications would erode the structure designed by the Framers to form a 'more perfect

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