The US is one of the few democracies in which the president is limited in the number of terms they can serve. While this allows for the continuous introduction of new ideas and perspectives in the government, it also greatly decreases the impact any single president can make.
For example, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has been in control for more than 10 years. This has given him a much longer time to make a meaningful impact on the country and its people India has seen numerous modernizing advancements, especially regarding technology, under Modi’s leadership.
There have been multiple cases in the past of leaders resigning after feedback from their constituents. In the UK, former prime minister Boris Johnson resigned due to pressure from the public and his party after holding his position for more than three years.
These incidents greatly illustrate how a country’s leader can make wise decisions and listen to the voice of the people.
“I think that while it’s great that terms last for four years, limiting the number of terms a U.S. president can serve could reduce the positive impact a good leader could have on the country,” stated senior Jatin Kodavatiganti. The U.S. introduced a term limit in 1952 in the 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution.
The recent resignation of Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after more than nine years of leadership resigned as he learned his time was up and the country needed someone new. He as being pressured by the people as they did not see him fit to lead. “This seems like the ideal kind of democracy where a leader is allowed to remain the amount of time needed to contribute what they want to contribute to the country,” stated junior Vrayas Pila.
“With only a two-term limit, this leads to more frequent changes in leadership and the frequent change in regulations before they can achieve what was intended as leadership switches between political parties,” added Pila. Without a limit to the number of terms a president could serve, the country could maintain more consistent policies and progress better as a nation with less frequent power shifts. It is important to put power in the hands of those who are willing to give up that power for the country.
