In effect, we do have term limits. If a politician displeases enough of their constituency, they get voted out next election.
The biggest problem is that the only requirement to be a politician is to get elected. They don't have to know anything, they don't need any educational qualifications, no training, no certificate, no test or exam (other than collecting enough votes).
I've been peripherally involved in our local government for over a decade, outlasted four mayors, five city administrators, at least a dozen commission members, two or three city attorneys, and the one constant I have noticed is that the freshly elected people have NO "institutional knowledge" and very, very small or even non-existent "networks". They don't know anyone in surrounding jurisdictions, and they have no idea of how government functions. As a result, until they've been around for six months or so (sometimes more), very little gets accomplished because they are learning (or not learning) the ropes. In the meantime, the problems and issues continue to pile up.
Small example - we do a Christmas parade here, throw candy at the kiddies, make floats, wave to everyone. It's very nice. Nobody in the current city government has ever done this before, so they wind up calling me - remember, I don't get paid - and ask where do we get XYZ, who has ABC, what do we do about JKL, how do we do QRS and so on. I'm the only one they know who has done this before, so yes, I help out, and am happy to so for the good of the community.
(One of the local car dealers is lending us some cars for the parade, everything was all set up EXCEPT how and when to return the cars after the parade. Hey, minor detail, does this mean we can keep them? Stay tuned.)
But back to term limits . . . I've seen politicians who are termed out (yes, we have some of them), and they either move horizontally to another office, or vertically to a county, state or federal office. They take their foibles and the skeletons in their closets (of which there seem to be MANY) with them, so effectively they are back in business except at a different stand, but still in government.
Incumbents are difficult to unseat. They get replaced when they die, get sick, decide they are done, or get caught with their hands either in the cash drawer or in someone else's drawers. Sometimes even that isn't enough.
Unfortunately, intelligence isn't additive. Putting 535 idiots in a room doesn't add up to make a genius. We won't have better governance until we elect better candidates - and that seems to be exactly what politicians DON'T want to happen.
The first step in solving a problem is recognizing that we HAVE a problem. I am encouraged because we all pretty much agree that ongoing governmental disfunction is not in our best interests.
Best Regards,
Mike/Florida