Step 1: Click here to read the Washington Post article "Term Limits Take Effect." As you read, answer the questions below:

1. What do career politicians think about career politicians?

2. What happened in Arkansas and Michigan when term limits were imposed on their state assemblies?

3. Create a pros and cons chart on your own paper and record the arguments in the article on both sides. Leave room on your chart to add more arguments later.

4. What did the Supreme Court rule in 1995 about limiting Congressional terms?

5. What has happened with the effort to pass a Constitutional Amendment limiting Congressional terms?

Step 2: Click here to read some quotes arguing for and against term limits. As you read, add their arguments to your Pros and Cons chart that you created in Step 1.

Step 3: Click here to read the Twenty-Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which limits the term of the President of the United States, and think about why this amendment was passed.

Step 4: Click here to read the proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which, if ratified, would limit the terms of Representatives and Senators.

Step 5: Click here to analyze the chart of states which limit the terms of their governors.

 

 

Concluding Activities

 

Here are two concluding activities for this Net Investigation on Term Limits. Your teacher will tell you which one to write. (Beware! Your teacher may tell you to write both! Ooh!)

ECR: Using your Pros and Cons chart, evaluate the debate on term limits. Write an Extended Constructed Response in which you explain the debate over term limits, describe at least two or three arguments for each side, and express your opinion on the issue.

BCR: The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states may impose term limits on their state legislatures, but may not impose term limits on their elected representatives to the U.S. Congress. The Court stated that only a Constitutional Amendment (like the 22nd) can add term limits to the federal level of government.

Write a Brief Constructed Response discussing the difference between limiting terms for the executive branch and the legislative branch. Why do you think the situation is different for the two branches? Do limits on the executive branch fulfill the intents of the Framers of the Constitution?

(hints:

  • the writers of the Constitution wanted to avoid a situation that could create a monarchy
  • George Washington limited himself to two terms to avoid the possibility of the president becoming a king and all presidents except Franklin Roosevelt followed his example)

 

Congratulations! You have finished this Net Investigation!

Click here to return to the Term Limits Net Investigation Main Page.