Term Limits Of Athenian Government

Who doesn’t love some fresh air? Who doesn’t love new ways of thinking and less corruption? The answer is: no one. Yet in our current republican democracy in the United States there are term limits for the president, but not for congressmen. Members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are considered for reelection every even year. Senators, however, serve six-year terms and elections to the Senate are staggered over even years so that 1/3 of the Senate is up for reelection during any election. This system of nonexistent term limits for Congress is vulnerable to corruption, is close-minded, and deviates from the idea that Congress exists to help society, not to make office-holder careers. But fortunately, the U.S. can learn from the council of Athenian Democracy and change its system for the benefit of all. The council of 500 represented the full-time government of Athens. It consisted of 500 citizens, 50 from each of the ten tribes, who served for one year. In Athenian democracy members were limited to serve two one-year terms in their lifetime, thus every person had a chance to serve. One benefit of this system was that since most citizens had an opportunity to be part of the administration, the citizens who formed the assembly were now politically
today? First is the argument of corruption. Members of Congress gain power and influence if they serve for a long period of time, which make it tempting to base their policies, votes, and actions on their own self-interest. Take for example Congressmen William J. Jefferson, whom after 18 years of serving in the House of Representatives (9 terms) was caught with hundreds of millions of dollars from bribes of companies who he helped do business in Africa. Either there are no term limits, which means more time to gain power and be corrupt, or there is a one-term limit, which limits time for corruption and encourages ethical policies for