The Founding Fathers on Term Limits

April 14, 2025
Seal SD Liberty

The Founding Fathers on Term Limits: Benjamin Franklin’s Vision and the Corruption of Endless Power

The Founding Fathers built this nation on principles of liberty, limited government, and the belief that power should never corrupt the public good. Yet, today, we see career politicians clinging to office, amassing wealth and influence while South Dakotans struggle under burdens like the $954 million property tax (SD News Watch, 2021-22). As Jerry Odom, a family man, I believe it’s time to return to the Founders’ vision—term limits to prevent corruption, especially as Benjamin Franklin argued that public service should be an honor, not a paid career. Let’s explore their wisdom and why term limits are crucial for liberty.

The Founding Fathers’ Views on Term Limits

The Founding Fathers were deeply skeptical of concentrated power, a lesson drawn from their fight against British tyranny. They designed the U.S. Constitution with checks and balances to prevent corruption, but their views on term limits reveal an even stronger commitment to liberty:

  • Rotation in Office as a Safeguard: Many Founders supported term limits to ensure “rotation in office,” believing that frequent turnover would prevent the entrenchment of power. Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1788, “Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct” (Web ID: 2). He advocated for term limits to keep leaders accountable, a principle echoed in the Articles of Confederation, which limited delegates to three years in any six-year period (Web ID: 6).
  • George Washington’s Example: Washington set a powerful precedent by stepping down after two terms as president in 1797, emphasizing the importance of relinquishing power to preserve democracy (Web ID: 8). His actions inspired the 22nd Amendment (1951), limiting presidents to two terms, but Congress and state legislatures still lack such limits.
  • James Madison’s Concerns: Madison, in Federalist No. 51, argued that government must control itself through checks like term limits, as “men are not angels” (Web ID: 4). He believed long tenures lead to self-interest over public good—a prophecy fulfilled by today’s career politicians.
  • Anti-Federalist Support: Anti-Federalists like Melancton Smith pushed for mandatory rotation in the Constitution, arguing that without term limits, representatives would become “a body distinct from and superior to the people,” losing touch with their constituents (Web ID: 6). Their fears have come true in modern politics.

Benjamin Franklin’s Vision: Public Service as an Honor, Not a Career

Benjamin Franklin, a key Founder and delegate to the Constitutional Convention, had a radical view on public service that resonates with liberty-minded principles:

  • Service Without Pay: Franklin proposed that public offices should be unpaid, arguing in 1787 that positions of honor should attract those motivated by duty, not profit (Web ID: 3). He believed paying officials would draw “the bold and the violent, the men of strong passions and indefatigable activity in their selfish pursuits,” leading to corruption (Web ID: 3).
  • Corruption Through Compensation: Franklin warned that salaries would turn public service into a career, fostering a class of professional politicians more interested in personal gain than the public good. He saw unpaid service as a way to ensure leaders were driven by honor, not greed (Web ID: 3).
  • Historical Context: Franklin’s idea was rooted in the classical republican tradition, where citizens served temporarily and returned to private life, as seen in ancient Athens and Rome (Web ID: 5). He feared that without such a system, power would corrupt, a fear validated by today’s entrenched politicians.

Lack of Term Limits Leads to Corruption

The absence of term limits in Congress and many state legislatures, including South Dakota, has proven Franklin right—long tenures breed corruption, undermining liberty and the public good:

  • Entrenched Power: Career politicians, some serving decades, become disconnected from constituents, focusing on re-election over service. In 2024, 97% of U.S. House incumbents were re-elected despite a 9% congressional approval rating (Web ID: 10), showing how incumbency advantages—like fundraising and name recognition—entrench power.
  • Corruption and Wealth Accumulation: Long-serving politicians often amass wealth through their positions. A 2023 study found that 50% of Congress members were millionaires, compared to 5% of the general population (Web ID: 12). Franklin’s fear of “selfish pursuits” is evident in scandals like insider trading among senators, who outperform the market by 12% annually (Web ID: 14).
  • Policy Stagnation: Without term limits, politicians prioritize short-term populist measures over long-term solutions, fearing voter backlash. This leads to inaction on critical issues like South Dakota’s $954 million property tax burden (SD News Watch, 2021-22), which forces families to choose between taxes and essentials like groceries (eggs at $6.23/dozen, Post ID: 0).
  • Progressive Corruption: Progressive socialists, posing as champions of the people, exploit long tenures to push agendas like open borders—8 million illegal crossings since 2021 (Lamborn, 2023) brought gangs like Tren de Aragua to Aurora, CO (Web ID: 1)—while ignoring constitutional protections (Article 4, Section 4). Term limits would force fresh voices to address these violations.

Snarky Commentary: Progressive Socialists Posing as Americans

  • Career Politicians’ Payday: Franklin said public service should be unpaid, but progressives treat it like a gold mine—50% of Congress are millionaires (Web ID: 12)! Liberty means serving the people, not your wallet, but these posers wouldn’t know honor if it bit them!
  • Tax Tyranny Forever: No term limits mean career politicians keep taxing us—$954 million in property taxes (SD News Watch) while eggs hit $6.23/dozen (Post ID: 0)! Progressives love their cushy jobs more than your family’s freedom!
  • Border Chaos Kings: 8 million crossings (Lamborn, 2023) and gangs in Aurora (Web ID: 1)—progressives cling to power with no term limits, ignoring Article 4, Section 4! Liberty means new leaders, not the same old socialists!
  • Constitutional Con: These fake Americans talk “public good” but violate the Constitution with every long tenure—Founding Fathers like Franklin are rolling in their graves! Liberty demands term limits, not lifelong leeches!

A Liberty-First Solution: Term Limits and Property Tax Relief

As a family man with a 27-year marriage, I’m fighting for South Dakotans to live free from government overreach—starting with term limits and property tax relief. The Founding Fathers, especially Franklin, knew that unchecked power corrupts; term limits ensure fresh voices serve with honor, not greed. My Gross Receipts Tax (GRT) plan will end property taxes, saving homes from the $954 million burden and ensuring South Dakotans can afford essentials without fear of foreclosure. South Dakota’s $1.5 billion sales tax revenue (SD Dept of Revenue, 2023) and $109 million surplus (South Dakota Searchlight, 2023) can fund schools and services without taxing you into the poorhouse. Join me at the Liberty Forum, April 19th, 2:00 PM, First Assembly of God, Rapid City, to fight for a South Dakota where liberty and honor reign—5 days away! Share if you’re with me! #OdomForLiberty #SouthDakotaStrong #TaxReformSD #FreedomFirst