No president is supposed to serve more than two full terms. That rule became part of the US Constitution in 1951, after President Franklin D. Roosevelt died.
Articles on term limits
Displaying all articles
Putin successfully changed Russia’s constitution to allow himself to stay in power.
A scholar of the Supreme Court and its relationship to the people of the United States says that President Joe Biden’s proposed term limits for justices can restore the court’s eroded legitimacy.
Very few Americans believe Congress is doing a good job. Some of them have a simple solution: Throw the bums out and institute term limits. But that creates more problems than it solves.
Whoever wins the elections will face two key challenges: reviving the country’s democratic credentials and stimulating the economy.
Unlike in most countries, US Supreme Court justices enjoy life tenure. Some legal scholars believe that centuries-old custom, meant to protect judicial independence, no longer serves the public.
Americans at the ballot box have historically adopted the adage: Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t. Does that mean Trump will win a second term?
Citizens voting directly on policy seems like a good idea. But that led to the Brexit mess in the UK. In the US, two scholars say direct democracy deepens distrust of politics and government.
Top contributors
-
Professor, School of Public Policy and Administration, York University, Canada
-
Professor, Public Policy and Administration, California State University, Sacramento
-
Associate Professor of Political Science, Boise State University
-
Professor of Political Science, UMass Lowell
-
Professor of Political Science, Trinity College
-
Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, UMass Amherst
-
Professor of Political Science, Northern Illinois University
-
Senior Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
-
Lawyer/PhD Candidate, UCL
-
Associate Professor of Philosophy and Law, Wayne State University; Institute for Humane Studies