u.s. presidential term length/limit?

[dragonstar57]

should the length of a presidency be longer?

[Mr Skeptic]

The length of the presidency is fine. What needs changing is our voting system.

[Ophiolite]

The length of the presidency is fine. What needs changing is our voting system.

Or your voters.

[Pangloss]

Or the people we have to choose from.

[Mr Skeptic]

Or the people we have to choose from.

 

We can increase the pool of people that could be elected by changing our voting system to one where you don't lose your vote if you vote for a losing candidate. For example you could be allowed to vote for several candidates, or your vote could be carried on to your second choice (and third,...) should your favorite candidate lose. This would allow you to vote for candidates that you like even if you don't think they have a high chance of winning, since you won't be throwing away your vote for doing so. And that would allow many more candidates to run and more choice of how to vote.

[-Demosthenes-]

We can increase the pool of people that could be elected by changing our voting system to one where you don't lose your vote if you vote for a losing candidate. For example you could be allowed to vote for several candidates, or your vote could be carried on to your second choice (and third,...) should your favorite candidate lose. This would allow you to vote for candidates that you like even if you don't think they have a high chance of winning, since you won't be throwing away your vote for doing so. And that would allow many more candidates to run and more choice of how to vote.

 

Or a ranking system.

[Pangloss]

We can also increase the pool of people we have to choose from by kicking them out of office when they don't do their jobs. All 435 members of the House were up for re-election yesterday. Republicans picked up something like 60 seats. So something like 86% of the House are going right back to doing the same crappy job. That's not much of a revolution.

 

But we're just getting started. George Stephanopoulos of ABC News calls this "the third 'change' election in a row". He has an interesting point. I wonder what would happen if 30% of the House was turned out in 2012 (twice this year's figure). What about 50%? 60%? 80%? And a third of the Senate can be turned out every two years as well (this time only ~10% changed hands).

 

If the economy doesn't improve dramatically by 2012, I think we're going to find out.

[dragonstar57]

5 years is a better # than 4

[Pangloss]

Cool. Why?

[Saryctos]

One thing to consider is how a change in the presidential term would affect the election timing of congressmen and senators.

[Marat]

If all federally elected officials, from members of the House and the Senate to the Vice-President and President, could only be elected for a single term and then never re-elected, that would at least help diminish the force which makes America today a plutocracy rather than a democracy, since special interests couldn't control present office holders by contributing or withholding money for their re-election.

 

Perhaps House members could have a three-year term; Senators a five-year term; and President and Vice-President a seven-year term, just to moderate the effect of changes in the electorate's mood and provide the federal executive with enough guaranteed time in office to carry through some longer term plans.

 

Immediate family members would also have to agree never to run for federal office as a pre-condition of the candidates' eligibility, to forestall the 'Lurleen Wallace' effect of a spouse stepping in as a figure head for a person who could not run for re-election.

[Doc. Josh]

the term seems pretty fair i believe, however i think the voting system need's a tune up. A more accurate way to pinpoint candidates . similar to the effect of ( skeptics) system, seems logical at first glance. But going out on a limb here.. Maybe a quick form to fill out, along with a brief handbook on politics that way the uneducated masse's atleast have a general idea. I believe we would agree that the world is filled with more uneducated than educated when it comes to politics. And some people vote according to popularity not the reason's they would be a good candidate of policy. Much like an application per say.. But i suppose that wouldnt't be fair now would it.