An open-seat election doesn't ensure a competitive race, when a district is drawn to be 70% Democrat (or Republican). And bipartisan committees aren't that effective - the best way would either to draw districts using the splitline algorithm, or have the districts drawn by a panel of judges, like in Colorado and Texas. Of course, there will be districts that have a definite majority one way or another, but...

1) They'll be less frequent.
2) When they do occur, it will be because of natural geography, and not the special interests of partisans.

Most representatives get re-elected because they're from gerrymandered, unfair districts. Senators get re-elected because they have money from lobbyists - it's been that way since the 17th Amendment.

I'm not sure what you mean by "work". but i will assume it means to a more efficient system of government. term limits along won't work, to some extent. that is they will promote a more competitive open-seat race in district that are moderate, so as you say would ending gerrymandering, which seem like a quick fix of making bipartisan committees to draw districts instead of who ever is in office every 10 years.
why is it that 80% house incumbent and 95% senators get reelected. i would point to funding. PAC's others favor incumbents 92% of the time. the money matters big time as more often than not he or she who has the most funding wins.
laws that limit terms would also have to at minimum apply state wide, look at California. they limited terms ,but it has done little to make thinks competitive simply become they are carpetbagger in some sense they can just move to another district and run again as representatives.

no way, jose.

This Country should not have life-time politicians. The presidential Term limits were established, not just by our Constitution, but also by George Washington when he stepped down from office after two terms. Why should this president, or any other after be 'special'? Two terms, four years each is enough. And I also agree that EVERY politician in this Country and Nation should be limited by terms, years, pay caps, and number of pensions. No more than two pensions, no matter how many offices they may have occupied.

You have to give the ObamaNation and his merry Marxists credit. They are trying aren't they?

How about instead of the Flat Tax, have the Fair Tax, which would get rid of the IRS and institute a national sales tax to replace the income tax.

Limiting congressmen to one or two terms will bog down the government and destroy Congressional professionalism. I guess it's alright though considering how we already look to the president to be our nanny.

We have term limits. They're called elections. Problem is, the districts are drawn so that candidates get re-elected over and over again. Get rid of gerrymandering and you won't need term limits.

Without rigid term limits we end up with career politicians who bow down to the 'special interest lobby' who pay them outrageous amounts of money to vote in certain ways. This is what the Founding Fathers were against! Once the big money starts to roll in for these career politicians they stop representing the People and lean to the hand that feeds them. Read the Federalist Papers and you will learn 'why' they constructed the Constitution the way it is. Then again, the Anti-Federalist Papers are quite the good read too!

Term limits won't work. A majority of districts will still be "safe districts" for one party or another. See, politicians only support things that they know will not threaten their party or themselves. Same with Instant Runoff Voting.

Do you really want to stop Congressional stagnation? End gerrymandering.

Yo, Jose, trying to start a movement seeking job security for all you jerks in DC??? NOT!

what are you kidding me? everyone should serve 2 terms. it is only fair.

term limits are necessary. there should be term limits on congress and the senate as well.

Now we can actually see how far left our government has gone. To try and rewrite the 22nd ammendment of our Constitution. Seems to me that we all need to start fighting back and standing up for what our Four Fathers had founded this country on. First and foremost all need to put GOD back into everything in their life.

Make is so no one can serve more than one term. The all get stupid after that.

Do I smell Facsism here? Adolf Hitler once said that the Third Reich would last 1000 years. I believe it was the brave men and women of the American Armed Forces that threw that one in the dirt! Maybe its time we throw a few Congressmen in the dirt too.

"No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation." -Douglas MacArthur.

Real Americans would never vote for giving unlimited terms or additional terms to a President - that would destroy our country and make it a dictatorship. The unfortunate thing is that Real Americans are being overwhelmed by the births from illegals and the onslaught of foreign powers attempting to overthrow us with sheer numbers of legal immigrants having children, too. It's terrifying to think that my children and grandchildren will never really know America as it was meant to be by our Founding Fathers.

Like Bush could really get a third term, or even the Republican nomination.

Years ago I agreed with this. Reagan, okay. Clinton, okay. But I'm not sure democracy itself could have survived a 3rd GWB term. So much power in so few hands needs to be regularly passed on. If the policies are good for the people, the people will vote to continue those policies. John McCain failed because those policies failed. Had Rovian politics had more terms available to wield the cult of personality that was GWB, we would be continuing the slide towards global isolation via ostracism.

I think this man Serrano better start acting like an American....not just to keep his seat but to stay in the country!

Please don't forget, they have voted themselves tax free income, and pay no social security tax, and they only have to serve one term to get paid for LIFE!!!
I would like to see mandatory minimum wage for all seats (let them serve not be served), and give the savings as raises to military vets and surviving family who risk their lives for you and I.

I'm sorry, don't you mean 10 term house rats?

The shortest split-line algorithm creates districts that are one hundred percent impartial. They are not based on race, religion, or political affiliation. There will be safe districts, like in the heart of LA or in the depths of the Deep South, but most will not be like that. We won't need term limits, because the more competitive, fair districts will re-elect a candidate as long as there is a popular consensus, but if someone else comes along, that incumbent will be defeated.

In most districts today, candidates win by sixty-or-more-percent margins. Others besides the incumbent have no chance. If you create term limits, there won't be any major change.

And on top of that, to some extent career politicians are a good thing. Presidents were usually governors or senators, and before that mayors or members of congress. Term limits put a cap on this, and also inhibit the will of the people.

Term limits for Congresspeople isn't the solution to the problem. Every few years we'll just get the same Democrats and Republicans. The real way to fix the problem of most Congresspeople getting re-elected, is to stop gerrymandering. Maybe even get rid of this "caveman" voting system, replacing it with something like range voting.

We need to get rid of career politicians, not enable them. I'm all for term limits for everyone from the president right down to the school board. Could the people of NY please vote this idiot out?

I consider and so does the consitution road blocks to be a necessity in order to try to keep our government in check so not to infringe on our rights as free citizens. Yes the 22nd Amendment was not part of the original consitution and in my reading of the original, the president can only serve 4 years which is the equivilant to one term. I feel there is no murky waters in the original and there was no need for the 22nd other than to extend the term for president. I do intend to get clarification on this from NCCS. Again from the way the original document is written the president can serve only one term of 4 years in office and I believe this would be best for our country to follow.

Get rid of the 17th Amendment, too. And print the Tenth in big, bold letters.

Just a bad idea all around! Though there have been presidents in the past who may have deserved to be president for a third term and would have done a great job, President George Washingtonm knew that setting that precedent would be bad. When you let an elected official stay in office too long, they forget they are elected!

um.. no.

They're truly not 'ruining our livelihoods'.. or any of that other dribble. Try to maintain some form of positivity.. our lives are far from ruined.. geez.

ya! you mean last admin right?

geez.. lets not go into the birther bull.