--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I still believe that term limits is the…" description: "\"I still believe that term limits is the best way to ensure that the next generation, not the next election, is the central concern in our elected bodie..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d5/tom-coburn-9771_believe_i-still-believe-that-term-limits-is-the_2977477.jpg" --- # I still believe that term limits is the best way to ensure… ![“I still believe that term limits is the best way to ensure that the next generation, not the next election, is the central concern in our elected bodies.” quote by Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d5/tom-coburn-9771_believe_i-still-believe-that-term-limits-is-the_2977477.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d5/tom-coburn-9771_believe_i-still-believe-that-term-limits-is-the_2977477.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d5/tom-coburn-9771_believe_i-still-believe-that-term-limits-is-the_2977477.jpg) > “I still believe that term limits is the best way to ensure that the next generation, not the next election, is the central concern in our elected bodies.” [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Term limits ensure focus on future generations rather than short‑term electoral cycles. **In simple terms:** Term limits keep focus on future, not elections. Key Takeaway Advocate for policies that prioritize long‑term stewardship. Themes politics governance future Mood concerned pragmatic Type political policy When to use this quote - legislative reform - civic education - policy advocacy Key Concepts democracy institutional reform Questions to Reflect On - How do term limits affect expertise? - What alternatives protect future focus? A Different Perspective Limits may reduce experienced leadership. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Best way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-way/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Concern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concern/) [Concern Elected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concern-elected-4614114/) [Elected Bodies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elected-bodies-1687803/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Ensure Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ensure-generation-4093439/) [Generation Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation-election-4614113/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [I still believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-still-believe/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Next generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-generation/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Term limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term-limits/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [I believe that whoever is successful should help ensure that the next generation can be successful, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hasso-plattner/i-believe-that-whoever-is-successful-should-help-ensure-that-the-next/) [Hasso Plattner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hasso-plattner/) > [ During the Suffragette revolt of 1913 I\[urged\] that what was needed was not the vote, but a constitutional amendment enactingthat all representative bodies shall… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/during-the-suffragette-revolt-of-1913-i-urged-that-what-was-needed/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [There are other forms of community-based decision-making, not unlike, you know, our elected bodies, except that the intention here is to exclude pay-to-play players…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/there-are-other-forms-of-community-based-decision-making-not-unlike/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Statesmen exhibit five key commitments: 1) A commitment to principles above politics; 2) An ability to compromise without abandoning principle; 3) A commitment to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/statesmen-exhibit-five-key-commitments-1-a-commitment-to-principles/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [When I came to Washington, I was troubled to observe so many similarities between the behaviors of drug-addicted patients and my political colleagues. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/when-i-came-to-washington-i-was-troubled-to-observe-so-many/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [The career politicians in Washington had transformed a government "for the people" into a government for themselves and for special interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/the-career-politicians-in-washington-had-transformed-a-government-for/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [People that had the guts to put their loyalty to the Constitution ahead of their loyalty to their political party were citizen legislators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/people-that-had-the-guts-to-put-their-loyalty-to-the-constitution/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [The traits in career politicians the public detests most are produced when ego triumphs over principle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/the-traits-in-career-politicians-the-public-detests-most-are-produced/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [The founding fathers never once rationalized getting in power and having control so they could stay in power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/the-founding-fathers-never-once-rationalized-getting-in-power-and/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [Careerism in Washington "goes to the heart of what's wrong in America right now."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/careerism-in-washington-goes-to-the-heart-of-what-s-wrong-in-america/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [We can achieve much greater representation through term-limited members.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/we-can-achieve-much-greater-representation-through-term-limited/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [Careerism: the self-centered philosophy of governing to win the next election above all else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/careerism-the-self-centered-philosophy-of-governing-to-win-the-next/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [I would like to believe I would not have behaved differently had I not made a term limits pledge, but my own frailties and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/i-would-like-to-believe-i-would-not-have-behaved-differently-had-i/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [The voting records of virtually every member of Congress reveal that the oath of office is more a ceremonial gesture than a sacred commitment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/the-voting-records-of-virtually-every-member-of-congress-reveal-that/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [Career politicians do not have the courage to prioritize spending and say no to demanding special interest groups who do not reflect the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/career-politicians-do-not-have-the-courage-to-prioritize-spending-and/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) ## More by Tom Coburn > [I believe keeping our promises should be our highest priority and that means saving Social Security and Medicare while preserving the American dream for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/i-believe-keeping-our-promises-should-be-our-highest-priority-and/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [The founding fathers never once rationalized getting in power and having control so they could stay in power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/the-founding-fathers-never-once-rationalized-getting-in-power-and/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [The real debate is we've had an activist court, and the American people don't want an activist court. And the real fear from those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/the-real-debate-is-we-ve-had-an-activist-court-and-the-american/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [It is inexcusable for the White House and Congress to not even make the effort to find at least some offsets to this new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/it-is-inexcusable-for-the-white-house-and-congress-to-not-even-make/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [I firmly believe that the court should take another direction on many of these moral issues that face us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/i-firmly-believe-that-the-court-should-take-another-direction-on-many/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [The voting records of virtually every member of Congress reveal that the oath of office is more a ceremonial gesture than a sacred commitment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/the-voting-records-of-virtually-every-member-of-congress-reveal-that/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [When we have heartbeat and brain waves, we refuse to accept it as the presence of life - this lack of logic of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/when-we-have-heartbeat-and-brain-waves-we-refuse-to-accept-it-as-the/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [All change starts with a distant rumble at the grassroots level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/all-change-starts-with-a-distant-rumble-at-the-grassroots-level/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [I would like to believe I would not have behaved differently had I not made a term limits pledge, but my own frailties and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/i-would-like-to-believe-i-would-not-have-behaved-differently-had-i/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [Welfare reform happened with reconciliation; half the Democrats voted for it. The Bush tax cuts happened with reconciliation; twelve Democratic Senators voted for it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/welfare-reform-happened-with-reconciliation-half-the-democrats-voted/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [Careerism: the self-centered philosophy of governing to win the next election above all else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/careerism-the-self-centered-philosophy-of-governing-to-win-the-next/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [The question that arises as we use all these adjectives and adverbs to describe our physicians as we approach a Supreme Court nominee is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/the-question-that-arises-as-we-use-all-these-adjectives-and-adverbs/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [You're going to die sooner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/you-re-going-to-die-sooner/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [We can achieve much greater representation through term-limited members.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/we-can-achieve-much-greater-representation-through-term-limited/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [I believe all life has value, from conception to natural death. And I believe the intentional taking of human life, except to save lives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/i-believe-all-life-has-value-from-conception-to-natural-death-and-i/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) [Explore all 70 Tom Coburn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I still believe that term limits is the best way to ensure that the next generation, not the next election, is the central concern in our elected bodies.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Coburn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/i-still-believe-that-term-limits-is-the-best-way-to-ensure-that-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/i-still-believe-that-term-limits-is-the-best-way-to-ensure-that-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d5/tom-coburn-9771_believe_i-still-believe-that-term-limits-is-the_2977477.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d5/tom-coburn-9771_believe_i-still-believe-that-term-limits-is-the_2977477.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d5/tom-coburn-9771_believe_i-still-believe-that-term-limits-is-the_2977477.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I still believe that term limits is the best way to ensure that the next generation, not the next election…” — Tom Coburn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Tom Coburn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I still believe that term limits...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/i-still-believe-that-term-limits-is-the-best-way-to-ensure-that-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/i-still-believe-that-term-limits-is-the-best-way-to-ensure-that-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```