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A critical analysis of political term limits examining their dual role in preventing corruption while potentially undermining governance experience, featuring case studies from global democracies including the United States and addressing how term restrictions impact legislative effectiveness and the balance between democratic accountability and institutional stability.
Illustration by The Geostrata
Proponents of term limits argue that there is a need to solidify the democratic structures that have consolidated over the past few decades. They are also a guarantee against concentration of power in the hands of one individual or one group or political outfit.
However, term limits sometimes do not stop abuse of other offices of political importance to usurp power. For example, President Vladimir Putin has served as both Prime Minister and President of Russia.
There are no major international frameworks on political term limits. Only the Council of Europe has a special norm in place: the Council’s Venice Commission has signalled support for term limits under specific circumstances in line with the significance of democratic checks and balances.
THE AMERICAN SAGA
US President Donald Trump has often joked about running for a third term as President. However, this is wholly unconstitutional. The 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified in 1951.
It prohibited the number of times a President can be elected to office to two, apart from setting additional requirements for Vice Presidents who succeed to the unexpired terms of their predecessors. Donald Trump tried to stay in office despite losing the 2020 election.
It is not completely far-fetched to assume that there will be at least some efforts by Congressional Republicans to amend the US Constitution yet again. A joint resolution was introduced in January 2025 proposing that the 22nd Amendment be altered to allow a president to serve a third term, provided that their first two are non-consecutive.
The language of the bill was specific to Donald Trump’s status as the only living President to serve non-consecutive terms. The 22nd Amendment was ratified in response to the 32nd President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s four terms in office from 1933-1945.
Leading the country during the Great Depression and the Second World War. It has since prevented all presidents with the constitutional exception of Harry S. Truman, who anyways did not run for a third term.
TERM LIMITS AND CORRUPTION
Tsur (2022) finds that stricter term limits increase the frequency of corruption incidents but reduce the expected cost per incident. This means that if a political office holder is forced to leave office due to constitutional restrictions on tenure, they are more likely to engage in a larger number of corruption incidents, but the average cost of the incident is likely to be lesser.
Term limits may liken the chances for opportunistic lame duck leaders to engage in corruption. Allegations of corruption against United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas concerning life-long tenures of Justices are to be noted.
LEGISLATURE, BUREAUCRACY AND TERM LIMITS
Some opponents of term limits argue that they cause increased influence of staffers, and the bureaucratic machinery over the actual legislators themselves. When an elected official is forced to leave office after a certain set term, the actual workings of the government may increasingly rely on their legislative expertise due to the lack of actually experienced legislators.
Career officials will find themselves more responsible due to dependent political electees. Without a deep understanding of procedural intricacies, policies, and governance mechanisms - new legislators will be left without the experience needed to effectively govern.
Legislators may also not have any incentive to deliver and fulfill political promises in their lame duck term.
On the contrary, without term limits, legislators often stick to power by means of populist decisions that may not be good for the people. They may also spend public funds in a way that will maximise their re-election chances over efficacy.
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Political term limits remain a sensitive issue with strong arguments from both sides of the spectrum. Democratic accountability needs to be harmonised with institutional stability, perhaps by age-limits, instead of term limits.
While term limits may be an adequate checks and balances mechanism against political complacency, it is pertinent to note the inexperience of legislators is also a likely issue to arise.
Term limits will only be effective if they work in tandem with other institutional checks and balances in a limited manner to ensure best outcomes for the people.
Leaders may circumvent these term limits, and hence, broader democratic power-sharing arrangements are needed. A nuanced approach is required — one that prevents authoritarian entrenchment while ensuring legislative efficiency and accountability.
BY PRANAV KHATRI
TEAM GEOSTRATA
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