Rotation in Office
On March 21, 1947, Congress passed the 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution. FDR, a democrat, died in the White House, early in his fourth term. Republicans, reeling from the power he exercised, lobbied for an amendment limiting presidential tenure to two terms. Though motivated by partisan politics, the principle is nonetheless valid. Longevity in office leads to a dangerous concentration of power. The principle is as valid today as it was in 1947 and should now be applied to Congress who can boast members serving for as long as fifty years.
Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution establishes the House: “The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.” This clause could be amended with an addition of just a few words, as follows: “No Member shall serve more than once in any four-year period and twice in a lifetime.”
Article I, Section 3 reads as follows: “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof [modified by Amendment XVII], for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.”
Term-limiting modifications could also be applied to the Senate. In addition to providing for rotation in office, shortening the length of each Senate term to four years would allow for more varied participation. Four years is certainly enough time to do whatever harm or good a person is apt to do in office. Therefore Article I, Section 3 could be amended as follows: “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen for four Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote. No Senator shall serve more than once in any six-year period and twice in a lifetime.”
If we would like to have a government that is more likely to act responsibly, government reformation is essential. It will break up the power clots and bring in new blood.
Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution establishes the House: “The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.” This clause could be amended with an addition of just a few words, as follows: “No Member shall serve more than once in any four-year period and twice in a lifetime.”
Article I, Section 3 reads as follows: “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof [modified by Amendment XVII], for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.”
Term-limiting modifications could also be applied to the Senate. In addition to providing for rotation in office, shortening the length of each Senate term to four years would allow for more varied participation. Four years is certainly enough time to do whatever harm or good a person is apt to do in office. Therefore Article I, Section 3 could be amended as follows: “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen for four Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote. No Senator shall serve more than once in any six-year period and twice in a lifetime.”
If we would like to have a government that is more likely to act responsibly, government reformation is essential. It will break up the power clots and bring in new blood.
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