Term Limits

Along with only allowing publicly-financed campaigns to try to stamp out some lobbyists in DC, we should make term limits mandatory. Senators should be limited to two 6-year terms. Instead of 2 year terms for House members, I'd argue stretching that to 3 years per term and limiting them to a total of 3 terms.

Others have argued to make the President serve one term of six years instead of the current two terms of four. This I don't like because perhaps the biggest power a President has is the power of the bully pulpit, and the ability to force things to get shit done. I think by eliminating 2 years to the possible term, and cutting to only need to win (or in Dubya's case, steal) one election would sharply hurt a President's ability to effectively use his/her power. Currently, it's right around June of year 6 when the President becomes a lame duck and shortly thereafter, their ability to force people to get shit done precipitously goes down. I think a one term of 6 years would cause that ineffectiveness to be moved up by a good six months.

Moreover, if the changes recommended above were made, all the terms would end in multiples of 6 which would make the math virtually impossible to get it so the Congress members are running for re-election in the 5th year of a President's 6th year of that one term. Then the Congress would want to curry favour with the President and make him/her more powerful than a current President in his/her 7th year.