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Comment by mozumder | Hacker News Reader

I don't get the appeal of term limits on Congress.

Why would you vote for an amateur politician instead of a professional career politician?

Aren't career politicians better than amateur politicians? If a politician is doing a good job, why would you artificially limit their term?

The branch of government with the highest approval rate is the Judicial branch, where Supreme Court Justices are appointed for life.

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The appeal is that it would make being a career politician impossible and that term-limited congress would therefore act out of interest for their constituents rather than themselves. But you're right that it would also prevent good politicians from staying.

Another proposal which could have a similar effect would be to drastically increase the number of representatives so that each one represents a smaller number of people (say 50,000). Having many more reps would reduces the individual power and influence of any one rep in particular and could dissuade them from acting in their own best interest.

Term limits mean just as people really figure out how it works and how to get things done, they're gone.

The appeal is that it would make being a career politician impossible

The assumption, and I'm not saying that it's necessarily wrong, is that "career politician" is undesirable. How about getting rid of "career software developers"? Get rid of those entrenched JavaScript devs that are only interested in feathering their own nests. "Career doctors"? The medical profession is really just a business, and it should be treated like one. Next time you break a limb, seek out an MBA instead.

Point is, the more I've been involved in politics (including running for office) the more I realize that you're not just going to march in on the first day and get stuff done. Kind of like that first day with that new codebase, eh? Now, I don't know that one out to be "Congress critter for life", but you don't just waltz in an go "my constituents want $THIS" and expect it to just happen. So a little experience might go further than electing the "outsider" who isn't "beholden to special interests".

I agree that career politicians aren't inherently bad and was more just stating plain reasoning to the parent's question.

"Career politicians" and term limits are an easy thing to point to that don't actually deal with the problem which in my mind has more to do with each individual representative carrying too much importance because there are so few of them. Also one person cannot reasonably represent the views of 1M constituents.

In complete agreement; well stated. Since the Constitution was written, the population has increased, what, a couple of orders of magnitude? And yet the same 435 reps?

Not technically correct:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_H...

Most companies avoid having the same person do the same job for a long time. Fresh blood sees things differently and might re-try something that failed in the past. Don't forget that generally speaking a congressman doesn't usually start his political career in congress.

> therefore act out of interest for their constituents rather than themselves.

I don't see how that follows. Wouldn't the limit encourage a congressional rep to cravenly maximize whatever personal benefits they can once they're in their final term? They don't need to fear re-election.

The other appeal (aside from what has already been stated) is that it would eliminate the problem of Congressmen obsessing about the next election as soon as they arrive. Lots of problems in our government are due to legislators wanting to avoid accountability, avoid having to take a position, or kicking the can down the road. But imagine if you only have two years and then go home! You'd be willing to really do something.

The Supreme Court has a really straightforward framework for their job though. They are judges not politicians.

In a perfect society, yes. But we are not a perfect society and the judges on the court have quite clear biases in many cases.

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