Term Limits
- Term limits are not about “standing in the way of democracy” — they are designed to strengthen it.
- Manhattan Beach has long benefited from a tradition of citizen leadership, where residents serve for a period and then return to private life.
- This approach promotes fresh ideas, new perspectives, and broader community representation.
- Term limits help prevent local government from being dominated by a small group of long-term officeholders.
- They are a widely accepted democratic tool — California voters approved term limits, and even the U.S. President is limited to two terms.
- These limits exist to prevent the concentration of political power, not because voters are incapable of making good choices.
- Incumbents have built-in advantages (name recognition, fundraising, influence) that can discourage new candidates from running.
- Without term limits, those advantages can reduce competition over time, not increase it.
- The goal is not to block good leaders, but to keep opportunities open for more members of the community.
- Strong democracies rely not just on elections, but on competition, accountability, and leadership renewal.
