On Term Limits
Service, not career. 12 years maximum in Congress.
"No person shall serve more than twelve years total in the Congress. Representatives may serve no more than six terms. Senators may serve no more than two terms. These offices exist for public service, not personal enrichment or career advancement."
— Constitution of the United States, Version 2.0, Article III, Section 2
The Problem
Congress was designed for citizen legislators — people who would serve temporarily and return to private life. Instead, it has become a career path to wealth and power:
- Average Senator net worth: $1-14 million (far above median American)
- Exposed to lobbying influence for decades
- Incumbency advantage: 90%+ reelection rate
- Members serving 30, 40, even 50 years
When the same people hold power for generations, accountability disappears. They become a permanent ruling class — exactly what the Founders sought to prevent.
The Autonomist Solution
| Office | Term | Limit | Maximum Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| House of Representatives | 2 years | 6 terms | 12 years |
| Senate | 6 years | 2 terms | 12 years |
| Congress (total) | — | — | 12 years combined |
Twelve years is enough time to become effective and accomplish meaningful work. It's not enough time to become entrenched, captured by lobbyists, or disconnected from ordinary life.
Why No Presidential Term Limits?
The Autonomist framework removes presidential term limits (currently 2 terms / 8 years). This seems contradictory — but it isn't.
The reasoning:
- In a properly balanced three-branch system, no President should have dangerous power
- The 4-year election cycle provides regular accountability — voters can remove bad presidents
- Arbitrary term limits force removal of effective leaders while bad ones serve full terms anyway
- The 22nd Amendment was a partisan reaction to FDR, not a principled reform
- Policy flip-flops every 4-8 years prevent good policies from being realized
Congress is different:
- Incumbency advantage is overwhelming (90%+ reelection)
- Individual members are largely unknown to voters outside their district
- Decades of service create deep corruption through lobbying relationships
- Fresh perspectives and citizen legislators are essential to representation
The Lobbying Connection
Term limits work together with the lobbying ban (Article III, Section 3):
"Former Members of Congress and senior staff shall be prohibited from employment by any entity they regulated or legislated concerning for a period of ten years following their service."
Without term limits, members stay for 30 years building relationships with lobbyists. Without a cooling-off period, they immediately cash in on those relationships. The Autonomist framework closes both doors.
After Term Limits
What happens when someone reaches their limit?
- Six-year period of ineligibility for Congress (prevents gaming the system)
- Can serve in state/local government, executive branch, judiciary
- Can return to private life — as was always intended
- Their experience and connections don't disappear; they just can't be leveraged for personal power in Congress
The Vision
Imagine a Congress where:
- Members know they'll return to live under the laws they pass
- Fresh perspectives constantly enter the institution
- No one builds a 40-year lobbying relationship network
- Service is a temporary duty, not a permanent career
- The people's representatives are actually people, not a separate ruling class
This is what representative government was meant to be.