There are a number of term limits to offices in the United States. A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. ...

Federal term limits

The Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution says that no person can be elected President of the United States to more than two four year terms. Term limits are a particularly important issue in the United States. Amendment XXII in the National Archives The Twenty-second Amendment of the United States Constitution sets a term limit for the President of the United States, providing that No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office... The presidential seal was first used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ...

President George Washington originally started the tradition of informal Presidential term limits by refusing to run for a third term. The short-lived Confederate States of America adopted a six-year term for its President and Vice-President and barred the President from seeking re-election. This innovation was endorsed by many American politicians after the war, most notably by Rutherford B. Hayes in his inaugural address. Hayes's proposal did not come to fruition, but the government of Mexico adopted the Confederate term and limit for its federal President. Franklin Roosevelt was the first and only President to successfully break Washington's tradition, and he died in office while serving his fourth term. George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and was later elected the first president of the United States under the U.S. Constitution. ... Motto: Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem: God Save the South (unofficial) Dixie (traditional) The Bonnie Blue Flag (popular) Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia (May 29, 1861–April 2, 1865) Danville, Virginia (from April 3, 1865) Language(s) English (de facto) Government Republic President... Rutherford Birchard Hayes (October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American politician, lawyer, military leader and the 19th President of the United States (1877-1881). ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), often referred to as FDR, was the 32nd (1933–1945) President of the United States. ...

Congressional term limits were featured prominently in the Republican Party's Contract with America in the 1994 election campaign, and may well have contributed to the so-called "Republican Revolution", as the Republicans wrested control of the House of Representatives from the Democratic Party for the first time since the 1952 elections. The Republican leadership brought to the floor of the House a constitutional amendment that would limit House members to six two-year terms and members of the Senate to two six-year terms. However, this amendment did not gain the approval of U.S. Term Limits, the largest private organization pushing for Congressional term limits. (U.S. Term Limits wanted House members to be limited to three two-year terms.) With the Republicans holding 230 seats in the House, the amendment did receive a simple majority in the House. However, a two-thirds majority (290 votes) is required to pass a constitutional amendment, and thus the bill failed. The concept subsequently subsequently lost momentum by the mid 1990s. The Republican Party is a one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Democratic Party. ... The Contract with America was a document released by the Republican Party of the United States during the 1994 Congressional election campaign. ... The U.S. House election, 1994 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1994 which occurred in the middle of President Bill Clintons first term. ... The Republican Revolution refers to the success of Republican Party in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      House of Representatives is a name used for legislative bodies in many countries. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ... The U.S. House election, 1952 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1952 which coincided with the election of President Dwight Eisenhower. ... A constitutional amendment is a change to the constitution of a nation or a state. ... U.S. Term Limits (or USTL) is a non-profit organization that lobbies for term limits for elected officials at each level of government in the United States. ...

In May 1995, the United States Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton, 514 U.S. 779 (1995) that states cannot impose term limits upon their federal Representatives or Senators. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States... Holding States cannot impose qualifications for prospective members of Congress stricter than those in the Constitution Court membership Chief Justice: William Rehnquist Associate Justices: John Paul Stevens, Sandra Day OConnor, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, David Souter, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer Case opinions Majority by: Stevens Joined... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      The government of the United States of America, established by the U.S. Constitution, is... The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ... Seal of the U.S. Senate Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      Senate composition following 2006 elections The United States Senate is...

Currently, term limits at the federal level are restricted to executive branch and some agencies. The U.S. Congress, however, remains without electoral limits. The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ...

State term limits

Term limits for state governors or others within the state executive branch and other high constitutional offices have existed since the beginning of the United States. One of the first such limits of its kind, the Delaware Constitution of 1776, limited the governor to a single three-year term; currently, the governor of Delaware can serve two 4-year terms. As of present, there are 36 states have adopted term limits of various types for their governors. One variation allowed a governor to be re-elected, but only to non-consecutive terms. (To circumvent this provision, George Wallace, the governor of Alabama, announced in 1966 that voters should elect his wife, Lurleen Wallace, their next governor. It was clear during the campaign that Mrs. Wallace would only be a titular governor, and thus she was elected the first female governor of Alabama.) The executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law and running the day-to-day affairs of the government or state. ... The Delaware Constitution of 1776 was the first governing document for Delaware state government and was in effect from its adoption in September 1776 until replaced in 1792 by a new Constitution. ... List of Delaware Governors Governors of New Sweden, 1639-1655 Peter Minuit 1639-1640 Peter Hollandaer Ridder 1640-1643 Johan Björnsson Printz 1643-1653 Johan Papegoya 1653-1654 Johan Classon Rising 1654-1655 Part of New Netherland, 1655-1664 Part of New York, 1664-1682 Part of Pennsylvania, 1682... Governor George Wallace (in front of door) standing defiantly against desegregation while being confronted by Deputy U.S. Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach at the University of Alabama in 1963. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ... Lurleen Burns Wallace (September 19, 1926 – May 7, 1968), born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was the first wife of Alabama Governor George Wallace, and as of 2006, the only woman to be elected Governor of Alabama. ... (In the context of property law, title refers to ownership or documents of ownership; see title (property). ...

Beginning in the 1990s, term limit laws were imposed on twenty state legislatures through either successful referendums, legislative acts or state constitutional changes. The Maine Legislature was the first state to enact legislative term limits in 1993. For the band, see 1990s (band). ... State legislatures are the lawmaking bodies of the 50 states in the United States of America. ... In the context of the United States of America, a state constitution is the governing document of a U.S. state, comparable to the U.S. Constitution which is the governing document of the United States. ... The Maine Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. ... el 18 de mayo nacio claudia // 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

Since 1997, however, six state legislatures have either overturned their own limits or state supreme courts have ruled such limits unconstitutional. In 2002 the Idaho Legislature became the first legislature of its kind to repeal its own term limits, enacted by a public vote in 1994, ostensibly because it applied to local officials along with the legislature. 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In the United States, the state supreme court (known by various names in various states) is the highest state court in the state court system. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... The Idaho Legislature is the lawmaking body of the State of Idaho. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ...

State legislatures with term limits

The following 15 legislatures have term limits:

• Arizona Legislature: four two-year terms for both houses (eight years).
• Arkansas General Assembly: three two-year terms for House members (six years) and two four-year terms for Senate members (eight years).
• California State Legislature: three two-year terms for Assembly members (six years) and two four-year terms for Senate members (eight years).
• Colorado General Assembly: four consecutive two-year terms in the House (eight years) and two consecutive four-year terms in the Senate (eight years).
• Florida Legislature: may serve no more than eight years in either house.
• Louisiana State Legislature: three four-year terms for both houses (twelve years).
• Maine Legislature: four two-year terms for both houses (eight years).
• Michigan Legislature: three two-year terms for House members (six years) and two four-year terms for Senate members (eight years).
• Missouri General Assembly: three consecutive two-year terms for House members (six years) and two four-year consecutive terms for Senate members (eight years). Members may be elected again to the other house, but not serve more than 16 years.
• Montana State Legislature: three consecutive two-year terms for House members (six years) and two four-year consecutive terms for Senate members (eight years). Members may be elected again to the other house, but not serve more than 16 years.
• Nebraska Legislature: two four-year terms (eight years).
• Nevada Legislature: six two-year terms for Assembly members (twelve years) and three four-year terms for Senate members (twelve years).
• Ohio General Assembly: four consecutive two-year terms for House members (eight years) and two consecutive four-year terms for Senate members (eight years).
• Oklahoma Legislature: six two-year terms for House members (twelve years) and three four-year terms for Senate members (twelve years).
• South Dakota Legislature: four two-year terms for both houses (eight years).

The Arizona State Legislature is the legislative branch of the state government of Arizona. ... The Arkansas General Assembly is the legislative branch of the Arkansas government. ... The Arkansas House of Representatives legislative chamber. ... The Arkansas State Senate is the upper branch of the Arkansas General Assembly. ... Californias Capitol, where the State Legislature meets California State Assembly chamber California state Senate chamber The California Legislature is the legislative branch of the state government of California. ... The California State Assembly chamber California State Assembly Chamber in the State Capitol The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. ... California state Senate chamber California State Senate Chamber in the State Capitol The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. ... The Colorado General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Colorado. ... The Colorado House of Representatives has 65 members elected for two-year terms. ... The Colorado Senate has 35 members each elected to four-year terms. ... The Florida Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. ... The Louisiana State Legislature is the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Louisiana. ... The Maine Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. ... The Michigan Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Michigan. ... The Michigan State House of Representatives is the lower body of the Michigan Legislature. ... The Michigan Senate is the upper body of the Michigan Legislature. ... The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of Missouri. ... The Missouri State House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents. ... The Missouri State Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly It has 34 members, representing districts with an average size of 160,000 residents. ... The Montana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Montana. ... The Montana House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. ... The Montana Senate is, with the Montana House of Representatives, part of the Montana State Legislature. ... The Nebraska Legislature is the U.S. state of Nebraskas legislative branch. ... The Nevada Legislature is the legislative body of the U.S. state of Nevada and is seated in Carson City, the state capital. ... The Nevada Assembly is the lower house of the Nevada Legislature. ... The Nevada Senate is one of the two houses of the Nevada Legislature. ... The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. ... Ohio has a bicameral legislature, the Ohio General Assembly, consisting a House of Representatives and Senate (the Ohio State Senate), based on its constitution of 1851. ... The Ohio Senate is the upper house in Ohios bicameral legislature, the Ohio General Assembly; the lower house is the Ohio House of Representatives. ... The State Capitol of Oklahoma The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the biennial meeting of the legislative branch of the Government of Oklahoma. ... The Oklahoma House of Representatives meets in the State Capitol of Oklahoma The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the larger body of the two houses of the Oklahoma Legislature, the other being the Oklahoma Senate. ... The Oklahoma Senate meets in the State Capitol of Oklahoma The Oklahoma Senate is the smaller body of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Overturned state legislative term limits

The following six legislatures have had their term limits nullified:

• Idaho Legislature: the Legislature repealed its own term limits in 2002.
• Massachusetts General Court: the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court overturned term limits in 1997.
• Oregon Legislative Assembly: the Oregon Supreme Court ruled term limits unconstitutional in 2002.
• Utah State Legislature: the Legislature repealed its own term limits in 2003.
• Washington State Legislature: the Washington Supreme Court voided term limits in 1998.
• Wyoming Legislature: the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled term limits unconstitutional in 2004.

The Idaho Legislature is the lawmaking body of the State of Idaho. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. ... The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) is the highest court in the United States Commonwealth of Massachusetts. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. ... The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the Oregon judicial department (branch of government). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... The Utah State Capitol, home of the Utah State Legislature. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. ... The members of the Washington State Supreme Court are: Chief Justice Gerry Alexander, Justice Bobbe Bridge, Justice Tom Chambers, Justice Mary Fairhurst, Justice Charles Johnson, Justice James Johnson, Justice Barbara Madsen, Justice Susan Owens and Justice Richard Sanders. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ... The Wyoming State Capitol in Cheyenne where the legislature meets. ... The Wyoming Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Wyoming. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Municipal term limits

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the mayor cannot be elected 3 consecutive times, but there is no limit on how long any individual can serve as mayor. Frank Rizzo was elected mayor there in 1971 and 1975, then tried and failed to get the 3-consecutive ban overturned, so could not run for that office in 1979. Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... Francis Lazarro Rizzo (October 23, 1920 – July 16, 1991) served two terms as mayor of Philadelphia, from January 1972 to January 1980; he was Police Commissioner for four years prior to that. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... For the song by The Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ...

References

• Pinney, Neil; George Serra, and Dalene Sprick (2004). "The costs of reform: consequences of limiting legislative terms of service". Party Politics 10 (1): 69-84. DOI:10.1177/1354068804039121. 

A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ...

See also

• Term limit
• Politics of the United States

A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      Politics of the United States of America takes place in a framework of a presidential republic...

External links

• U.S. Term Limits homepage
• National Conference of State Legislatures term limits summary