2.4 Executive Term Limits

6 min read•june 18, 2024

Isabela Padilha

Kelly Cotton

Isabela Padilha

Kelly Cotton

AP Comparative Government 🗳️

90 resources

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Topic 2.4 and 2.5 are going to explore term limits and removal ⛔ of executives. When exploring term limits, we will focus 🔍 on the advantages and disadvantages of promoting stability and effective policies in our Comp Gov countries. In regards to the removal of executives, Comp Gov focuses on how leaders can be removed and how this process of removal controls the abuse of power in each of course countries 🥼

Key Terms 📇:

Executive Term Limits: institutional rules that limit the amount of time that an executive can serve in that office. Example: In Mexico, 🇲🇽 the executive may only serve one 6 year term and is not eligible for re-election and this is set out in the Mexican Constitution.
Fixed Term Election System: a system in which fixed dates are set for elections. These dates are announced and scheduled. Example: A good example of this term would be the UK 🇬🇧and parliamentary elections. In 2011, the Fixed-term Parliaments Act set in legislation a default or set election day for general elections for Parliament. Elections are to be held every 5 years.

The CED (Course and Exam Description) notes that you should be able to first 1️⃣ identify if there are term limits and what they are in each of our course counties (UK 🇬🇧, Russia 🇷🇺, Iran 🇮🇷, Mexico 🇲🇽, China 🇨🇳, and Nigeria 🇳🇬). Then secondly 2️⃣, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of executive term limits in regards to promoting stability 🎖️ and effective policies in the Comp Gov course countries.

💡TEST TIP: Topic 2.4 lends itself really well to an argumentative FRQ. You may be asked to make an argument on why term limits in one country are far more effective than another course country and you would need to have examples of stability and effective policymaking. When we get to the end of our discussion of Topic 2.4 and 2.5 we will revisit this.

So it seems to me we should proceed with how term limits are structured in each of our course countries, and I think that the best way to do this would be in the form of a comparison chart!

Executive Term Limits

Course Country	Executive Term Limits	Where Established	Notes/Explanations
UK	NO Formal Time/Term Limit	Common Law (No written Constitution)	There is no formal term limit, Monarchy serves for life; Prime Minister-If a confidence motion is lost then the Government is obliged to resign or seek a dissolution of Parliament and call a General Election; also every 5 years fixed election
Mexico	1 - 6 Year Term Limit (Sexenio)	Constitution	Can only serve the one term; this changed from 4 years to 6 in 1928 for good.
Nigeria	2 Consecutive-4 Year Term Limit	Constitution	Coup d' etat’s have removed Presidents over the history of the country as well.
China	10 Year Term Limit	Constitution	Under President Xi, the Chinese National Party Congress changed the Constitution in 2018 to allow the president to serve indefinitely.
Iran	10 Year Term Limit: S.L. has 2 consecutive-4 Year Terms	Iranian Law	Supreme Leader has a 10 Year Term Limit; however, neither S.L. has ever been removed after 10 years by the Assembly of Experts. President is limited to 2 consecutive 4-year terms.
Russia	2 consecutive-6 year terms	Constitution	Changed from 4 years to 6 years by Constitutional amendment in 2012. Putin went from President to Prime Minister after his 2 consecutive terms and was re-elected president in 2012 and 2016.

The first key concept of Topic 2.4 is simple, be able to discuss executive term limits in each of the course countries.

😔 However, there is a second key concept that we need to discuss and that is what are the advantages and disadvantages of term limits in each of the course countries in 2️⃣ two specific ways:

1️⃣ political stability
2️⃣ effective policies

Let us first look at what the CED (Course and Exam Description) says about advantages and disadvantages of term limits 😤:

1. Advantages:✅ There are several advantages to having executive term limits among them are:

Checks of power - By continuously checking on the executive branch, the government prevents the emergence of authoritarian figures and dictatorial personalities.
Focus on the job - Helps to focus the attention of the executive on governing rather than winning elections.
Innovation of ideas - Provide more opportunities for new leaders, new ideas, new policies, and new goals since people from different generations and backgrounds will have more chances to run for election.

2. Disadvantages: ❌There are several disadvantages to having executive term limits, among them are:

Force good executives to leave office - Many times politicians with a high approval by the population have to leave office due to the term limits, and cannot be re-elected.
Insufficient time for office holders to implement policy - the policymaking and implementation process can be very complex and time-consuming. The term limits interfere with policy goals established by politicians.
Impede policy continuity - With the transition of government, there may also occur a transition of ideology and goals. A President can easily revert an executive order adopted by a previous president, which breask the continuity of many rules.
Weaken accountability - Due to the fact that the officer will not be permanently in office, it is possible that certain aspects of their government are overseen.
Lame duck period - It refers to the period in which a politician is approaching the end of their term and cannot get re-elected. This suggests that their power in influencing policies and the direction of the government is significantly reduced during this period.
Prevents the executive from building experience - Unlike in the Legislative branch, executive leaders are often constrained in their experience.
Can cause poorly designed policy - Due to the lack of time to formulate and implement policies, and possibly the lack of expertise, politicians end up implementing policies that are not as elaborated.

What is interesting is that the CED (Course and Exam Description) does not ask students to apply advantages and disadvantages to any specific Comp Gov course countries. However, let us look at a sample Argument FRQ ✍️ question that College Board shared during a recent review 📽️ session online that points to how this key concept of advantages and disadvantages could appear on an exam 📝:

Sample Argument FRQ ✍️

Different countries have different rules regarding executive term limits. Are executive term limits an effective constraint of executive power? In your response, be sure to address one of the following course concepts: democratic regimes, authoritarian regimes, political legitimacy.

SAMPLE RESPONSE:

Executive term limits are not an effective constraint of power, because they don't effectively limit how much power the branch or an individual can gain over time. There is evidence of this particular claim in both a democratic regime, such as Mexico and an authoritarian regime like Russia.

In Mexico all Presidents can only serve, 1, 6-year term often referred to as the sexenio, and all Presidents have adhered to this term limit throughout the course of Mexican history. However, despite the term limit, the power of the office has continued to grow over time. An example of this power in Mexico is the President's ability to appoint or remove cabinet members and heads of executive branch employees without opposition.

In Russia, an example of an authoritarian regime where there is a 2 consecutive, 4-year term limit, Vladimir Putin's power has been unchecked. Putin, in fact, manipulated the system in 2008 moving from President to Prime Minister and back to President and the power of the office has only continued to grow under his.

💡TEST TIP I want you to take notice of a few things in my response. 1st, 1️⃣ keep the same argument going in both examples, in this case, we discussed that even with term limits, the power of the executive branch or the individual both times. 2nd, 2️⃣ be sure to incorporate the term that was required, in this case, I was able to discuss both authoritarian 👑 and democratic 🙋 regimes.

Browse Study Guides By Unit

👑Unit 1 – Political Systems, Regimes, & Governments

⚖️Unit 2 – Political Institutions

2.1Parliamentary, Presidential, and Semi-Presidential Systems

2.4Executive Term Limits