# Term limits for legislators?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-limits-for-legislators/530617>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [February 27, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-limits-for-legislators/530617 "2010-02-27T04:37:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-limits-for-legislators/530617/1 "2010-02-27T04:37:38Z")

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I was listening to the radio today, and in discussion about the health care summit, some commentator or caller-in mentioned, roughly, that no one is willing to risk their seat by really advocating anything that isn’t vetted by massive support from the public and the media.

Well, why not have term limits for legislators, then? If protecting their job becomes an important part of a legislator’s job, then something needs to change. It doesn’t have to be super-short. 12 years, maybe. Maybe a little longer? Long enough to really have some time in the system, but short enough that it’s not a job for life. Short enough that a senator who’s been in DC for 6 or 8 years has a lot less to lose by standing for his/her principles, or suggesting more non-party-line solutions.

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**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-limits-for-legislators/530617/2 "2010-02-27T04:40:14Z")

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This is the same argument as [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=553885) started slightly earlier.

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**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-limits-for-legislators/530617/3 "2010-02-27T04:51:30Z")

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Ah, my bad . . . I’ll ask for a mod to close this and take my discussion there. Thanks for the head’s up! 🙂

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**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-limits-for-legislators/530617/4 "2010-02-27T17:37:13Z")

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Locking this duplicate thread.