Term Limits

• Since the ratification of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, The President of the United States is limited to two terms, so long as she does not serve as President for more than two years of the term of the presidency preceding, meaning that the absolute maximum term of office is nine years and 364 days. Those in favor of term limits claim that this keeps the presidency from falling into the hands of a political dynasty. Those against term limits say that out of 44 presidents, only 13 have served a full two terms, and that the American people deserve to vote for whoever they wish.
  
  

Foreign Policy

• The president sets foreign policy for the nation. Because of term limits, the United States reinvents itself every four to eight years, rendering U.S.foreign policy tentative at best. Every new president has the capacity to make decisions that will impact our relationships around the world long beyond their terms of office. The obvious benefit is that bad choices can be overturned with the election of a new president. The drawback, however, is similar. Good choices in foreign policy can be overturned with the election of a new president.
  
  

Money Is Power

• The total cost of the 2012 presidential election is being estimated by some as $5 billion. In a presidential election, money is power. Supporters say that money should be power, and that money is a good way to judge civic support for a candidate. Opponents say that money unfairly disadvantages lesser-known candidates and candidates of principle who refuse to make legislative deals with high-dollar contributors in order to secure an election.
  
  

Lame Duck

• Because of term limits, two-term presidents are subject to serving for four years as "lame ducks," meaning that their political future is behind them. Supporters say that lame-duck presidents are the only ones who can push their agendas with impunity, because they can do what they want without fear of losing the next election. Opponents say that lame-duck presidents leave a country hopeless, because if the nation likes the president they have, they are unable to continue his or her tenure, so the nation changes dramatically whether or not the people want to change. The presidency of the United States if fraught with difficulty, and the fact that its pros and cons weigh equally upon examination is testament to the difficulty of that esteemed office. The American presidency is the worst form of executive branch on earth, except for all of the others that have been tried.