[Tim] > So: term limits! Say, 12 years. If there are 3 Elders, replace one > every 12/3 = 4 years. At the start we can use the `secrets` module to pick > which Elders get the first 4, 8, and 12-year terms ;-) > > Fresh blood is a good thing in all areas. > >
[Larry] > Can I get you to clarify what you mean by "term limits"? Do you solely > mean "Elders would not be appointed for life, but rather would need to be > re-elected every N years"? Or do you additionally mean "No Elder can serve > more than N terms in their lifetime?" As an admittedly-feeble attempt at > disambiguation, I'd call the former "limited terms" and the latter "term > limits". (I would welcome better terms ;-) > It would mean whatever we said it means ;-) I had in mind that an Elder would be limited to one 12-year term. You do your dozen and you're out. The only ways to get out are to serve your 12 years, quit. die, or get impeached. Then that's it - you can't be a Python Elder again. > I'm most familiar with the term "term limits" from American politics, > where it definitely means the latter: a person can only serve N times, and > are simply ineligible to serve in that same role an N+1th time. As an > example, after FDR was elected President four times (!), the American > Congress passed the 22nd Amendment which limits any particular person to no > more than two terms as President. > In the context of hypothetical US Supreme Court term limits, legal thinking has been in line with my meaning above, although (a single) 18-year term has been most often discussed in that context: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Term_limits_in_the_United_States#Supreme_Court However, the articles I read most recently talked about 12 years instead, and I like that better for Python. The Supremes get a salary, but Elders don't. 12 years is a looooong commitment to do something "in spare time". Using my terminology above, at the moment I'm open-minded about whether or > not the Council members should have "limited terms". But I'm less upbeat > about "term limits". Personally I've always found this concept of "term > limits" a bit silly--the electorate could simply decline to re-elect the > incumbent. The fact that Americans re-elect the incumbent so frequently, > and *also* vote for term limits, seems to distill down to the attitude > "Throw the bums out!... except for *my* guy, he's good." > Of course a limit on the number of terms a Congress Critter can serve is intended to force the _other_ side's bums out. The passion for the prospect of being able to do that clouds seeing that it will also throw your side's bums out too ;-) BTW, we both know that the US founders deliberately did _not_ want Federal judges to be elected. They had little use for democracy at the Federal level. But without a Prez and a Congress to "do the right thing" in the peoples' best interest, I figured it's good enough to let PSF Fellows do the voting (in the best interests of the PSF's much broader membership).
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