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Term Limits Quotes

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Term Limits Quotes

“Why was it sensible for Americans to transubstantiate a convention into the virtual embodiment of the People? After all, as with an ordinary legislative assembly, a convention assembly may improve the ultimate quality of public deliberation, see, e.g., THE FEDERALIST No. 55, at 342 (J. Madison), but only by excluding most citizens, thereby raising fiduciary/agency problems. An answer based on organization theory/incentive analysis might focus on how a ratification convention is structured differently from an ordinary legislature in ways that enhance monitoring and improve public accountability. First, the People select convention delegates in a special election. Second, delegates are generally convened to consider a single issue (ratification). Third and related, the basic choice set is binary (yes-no), reducing agenda manipulation problems and decreasing the monitoring problems that exist in an ordinary legislature with virtually infinite possibilities of side deals and vote trading. Fourth, conventions immediately disband and disperse among the People, reducing the problem of legislators entrenching themselves and developing their own institutional perspectives. Finally, a convention enhances a sense of public-spiritedness and individual moral responsibility among both voters and delegates. Calling a "convention" signals to all concerned that the polity is entering a high-stakes moment when basic ground rules will be hammered out. Interestingly, criminal juries (deciding the single issue of individual guilt or innocence) possess many more convention attributes than do ordinary legislatures.”

Term LimitsConstitutional ConventionOrganizational Design1987We The PeopleJury TrialsIncentive Structure1788
Book:Of Sovereignty and Federalism
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“There are no term limits on His reign. He has always been King and He always will be King. There is no death that threatens the perpetuity of His sovereign authority. There is no usurping of power by a lesser rival to His throne. There are no coups, no revolutions (at least, none that succeed). There is no threat of impeachment. He is a King who rules eternally.”

TermRevolutionKingsSucceedLimitsAuthorityThreatThronesSovereignReignRivalsCoupsImpeachmentTerm Limits
Author:Sam Storms
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“My reason for fixing them in office for a term of years, rather than for life, was that they might have an idea that they were at a certain period to return into the mass of the people and become the governed instead of the governors which might still keep alive that regard to the public good that otherwise they might perhaps be induced by their independence to forget.”

PeopleYearsStillsIdeasReasonMightPoliticalCertainPoliticsTermForgetAliveReturnPeriodsOfficeMassRegardIndependenceGovernorsFixingPublic GoodTerm Limits
Book:The portable Thomas Jefferson
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“No person shall be capable of being a delegate for more than three years in any term of six.”

YearsPersonsPoliticalThreePoliticsTermSixCapableThree YearsDelegatesTerm Limits
Book:The American Beginnings: The Virginia Declaration of Rights; The Declaration of Independence, in Mr. Jefferson's Original Text, with Some of His Comments Thereon; the Articles of Confederation
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“I leave to others the sublime delights of riding in the storm, better pleased with sound sleep & a warmer berth below it encircled, with the society of neighbors, friends & fellow laborers of the earth rather than with spies & sycophants ... I have no ambition to govern men. It is a painful and thankless office.”

MenEarthPoliticalPoliticsSoundTermSleepOfficeAmbitionFellowsPainfulDelightStormNeighborRidingSublimeSpyLaborersTerm LimitsThanklessSycophantsNeighbors FriendsSound Sleep
Book:A Jefferson profile as revealed in his letters
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“Politics and self-interest have been so uniformly connected, that the world, from being so often deceived, has a right to be suspicious of public characters.”

WorldHas BeensSelfCharacterPoliticalPoliticsTermInterestConnectedDeceivedSuspiciousSelf InterestTerm Limits
Book:THE RIGHTS OF MAN: The French Revolution – Ideals, Arguments & Motives (Political Classic): Being an Answer to Mr. Burke's Attack on the French Revolution
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“It is tempting to believe that social evils arise from the activities of evil men and that if only good men (like ourselves, naturally) wielded power, all would be well. That view requires only emotion and self-praise - easy to come by and satisfying as well. To understand why it is that 'good' men in positions of power will produce evil, while the ordinary man without power but able to engage in voluntary cooperation with his neighbors will produce good, requires analysis and thought, subordinating emotions to the rational.”

IfsMenBelieveWellsSelfWould BeAblePoliticalEvilPoliticsSocialEasyTermViewsEmotionPositionProduceActivityOrdinaryPraiseNeighborAriseRationalAnalysisGood ManCooperationSatisfyingTemptingOrdinary ManEvil ManPosition Of PowerTerm LimitsSelf PraiseSocial Evils
Author:Friedrich August von Hayek
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“Few things infuse a member of Congress with more courage than self-imposed term limits or an imminent retirement. The issues they choose to focus on in their final months say a great deal about what are really the most important issues in the country.”

ImportantSelfCountryPoliticalPoliticsTermDealsIssuesFocusMonthsLimitsMembersFinalsCongressRetirementImportant IssuesTerm Limits
Book:Breach of Trust: How Washington Turns Outsiders Into Insiders
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“I would like to believe I would not have behaved differently had I not made a term limits pledge, but my own frailties and human desire for prestige and position tell me my term limits pledge did make a difference in how I approached my job in Congress.”

BelieveHumansMadeJobsPoliticalDesirePoliticsTermDifferencesMy OwnPositionLimitsCongressMaking A DifferencePledgePrestigeFrailtyTerm Limits
Book:Breach of Trust: How Washington Turns Outsiders Into Insiders
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“Where annual elections end, there slavery begins ... Humility, patience, and moderation, without which every man in power becomes a ravenous beast of prey.”

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Book:The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations
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“Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question.”

MenSaidSometimesGovernmentFormPoliticalFoundPoliticsAnswersTrustKingsAngelTrustedGoverningForms Of GovernmentProperty RightsSelf-governmentLimiting GovernmentTerm LimitsGovernment And PoliticsGovernment PoliticsBeing Trusted
Book:The writings of Thomas Jefferson
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“I think we have a Tea Party mandate, and that Tea Party mandate is for good-government type of things, things like term limits, things like a balanced budget amendment, things like read the bills for goodness sakes, things like that maybe Congress should only pass legislation that they apply to themselves as well.”

ThinkingShouldWellsGovernmentTermPartyTypeLimitsGoodnessBillsSakeCongressTeaBudgetsAmendmentsBalancedLegislationTea PartyMandatesTerm LimitsBalanced Budget
Author:Rand Paul
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