I have always believed that a prolonged concentration of power is not good for any level of government, national, state, county, and local.
After studying American history and the writings and actions of our Founding Fathers, I have concluded that they strongly believed in a limited period of time one should serve in an elected office.
As I live in the world of politics and see what is occurring in our nation with regards to governance, each day I grow stronger and stronger in the belief that when public life becomes a vocation, we find elected representatives becoming to secure and comfortable in their positions.
As the United States was being born, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and others believed that term limits would strengthen our nation by limiting power.
"To prevent every danger which might arise to American freedom from continuing too long in office, it is earnestly recommended that we set an obligation on the holder of that office to go out after a certain period." - Thomas Jefferson
Connecticut's Roger Sherman wrote, "Representatives ought to return home and mix with the people. By remaining at the seat of government, they would acquire the habits of the place, which might differ from those of their constituents."
George Mason advised limits on the number of terms anyone can be elected to Congress, "Nothing can be as essential to the preservation of a Republican government as a periodic rotation (of its members)."
I second Mason’s statement and go further to suggest that all levels of government should have “periodic rotation.”
Citizen legislators no longer exist on many levels of government. What was once viewed as a privilege to serve has been transformed into a lifelong career for many elected officials throughout our nation.
In my opinion, limiting the terms of elected officials will produce citizen legislators of people who reflect the hardworking taxpayers in every home from every neighborhood of this nation, rather than career politicians. Term-limited elected officials would be more in harmony with public opinion.
I have concluded that career politicians are not compatible with the vision of good representative government. As time goes on the career politician gives birth to a divide that disconnects them from the people they should be representing.
Sometime ago I read an article about the debate of term limits where one author (unknown) wrote, “Representative government, however, should be characterized by the close connection that must exist between the representative and the represented and aspires to minimize, rather than expand, the distance between the two. Simply put, professional politicians, who have spent careers in a ‘culture of ruling’ and who have become disconnected from the daily lives and struggles of the average American, do not understand the plight, the concerns, the needs, and the wants of their constituents”.
I take no issue with elected officials who keep their commitment to the people on one level of government and decide to move onto another level. Experienced public officials are an asset to good government. However, once they reach the level of government they seek to attain, a two term limit is what they should expect.
It has been said that America begins in our homes and neighborhoods, in the living room and around the kitchen table. Now let me add that the American political system begins in our city halls where citizen legislators and not professional politicians should be serving the people.
Term limits change the attention of elected officials from making decisions that would benefit them for re-election purposes, to making decisions that are in the best interest of the people, regardless of the political consequences.
It was Lincoln who said of America, “no one is quite sure whether, in the absence of imaginative leadership, a government so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.”
Of course, he was referring to our national government. But one can make that same argument for all levels of government as well. Imaginative leadership would support term limits for the good of our nation, from the city halls across America to the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
About Steve Rogers
Steven L. Rogers is one of America's leading law enforcement and
military contributors to news shows across the country. He is also an
accomplished author and professional speaker.
Steve is a graduate of William Paterson University in New Jersey and
holds a degree in Criminal Justice Administration. With 35+ years
experience in law enforcement, he has held several positions within
his department, including Public Affairs Officer, Commander of the
Juvenile Bureau, Commander of the Internal Affairs Division and
Commander of the Criminal Investigation Division until his retirement.
Steve also served his country first in the U.S. Air Force from 1970 to
1974 as a Staff Sergeant and later in the U.S. Navy as a
commissioned officer from 1981 to 2011 until his retirement as a
Lieutenant Commander. Steve attended the U.S. Naval War College
in Newport, Rhode Island with completed studies in Military and
National Strategy. During his military service he held the position of
Lieutenant Commander, office of Naval Intelligence and also Senior
Military Intelligence Officer on the F.B.I. National Joint Terrorism Task
Force in Washington, D.C.
Currently, Steve Rogers is a Commissioner in Nutley, New Jersey.
