Incumbency And Turnover
Without term limits, incumbents often hold seats for decades, which supporters say entrenches power and opponents say preserves expertise and voter choice.
In plain English
A cap on how long someone can serve in Congress. Right now, there's no cap — lawmakers can run for re-election indefinitely.
Simple example
In 1995, the Supreme Court struck down an Arkansas measure (passed by voters in 1992) that would have limited its U.S. House members to three terms and U.S. senators to two, ruling states cannot set such limits on their own.
Why it matters
What the term actually changes.
Public Opinion Gap
Polls consistently show strong bipartisan support for term limits among voters, yet proposals have repeatedly failed in Congress, illustrating a gap between public preference and legislative action.
Constitutional Stakes
Because the Supreme Court has ruled only a constitutional amendment can impose limits, the debate touches on how easily — or rarely — the nation's founding document is changed.
How it works
The mechanics, in practice.
Amendment Required
A term-limits rule would need a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate (or a convention called by two-thirds of states) and ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures.
Internal Rules Or Pledges
Short of an amendment, parties or caucuses can adopt internal limits on leadership posts, and individual lawmakers sometimes take voluntary pledges to serve only a set number of terms.
State-Level Limits
Many states already impose term limits on their own legislators and governors, but U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton bars them from doing the same for federal offices.