AP® Comparative Government and Politics review sheet from Aim for Five (aimforfive.com/comp-gov/units/2/2-4)
Unit 2 · Topic 2.4
2.4 Executive Term Limits
Term limits cap how long a leader can hold office. They prevent one person from entrenching power and bring in new leaders, but they can also push out popular or effective ones. The course countries range from strict limits (Mexico) to none at all for the top leader (China since 2018, Iran's Supreme Leader).
Key terms
- term limits
- sexenio
- constitutional amendment
- personalist rule
Why term limits matter
Supporters say term limits stop personalist rule, where power centers on one leader rather than on institutions, and guard against would-be dictators. They let leaders focus on governing instead of the next campaign, reduce the advantages of incumbency and bring in new people with new ideas. Critics say limits force out effective leaders, leave too little time to finish long projects, break policy continuity and waste experience. They also create “lame duck” periods and weaken accountability, since a leader who can't run again can't be punished by voters.
Watch how leaders get around limits: amending the constitution, resetting the count, or swapping posts while keeping influence.
Term limits apply to people, not parties. Mexico's one-term rule didn't stop the PRI from holding the presidency for 71 years; it only meant a new PRI president every six years.
The six countries
| Country | Top executive | Term and limit |
|---|---|---|
| UK | Prime minister | No limit; a general election must be held at least every five years |
| Mexico | President | One six-year term, never re-elected |
| Nigeria | President | Four-year terms, at most two |
| Russia | President | Six-year terms, at most two (count reset in 2020 for the sitting president) |
| Iran | President / Supreme Leader | President: four-year terms, at most two in a row. Supreme Leader: no term limit |
| China | State president / party General Secretary | Presidential two-term limit removed in 2018; no written party limit |
Key cases
Mexico: Single six-year terms with no re-election follow from the 1910 Revolution's slogan, “Effective suffrage, no re-election,” a reaction to the long rule of Porfirio Díaz.
Nigeria: In 2006 the Senate rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed a third presidential term. The two-term limit has held since 1999.
Russia: The 1993 constitution allowed two consecutive four-year terms. A 2008 amendment lengthened terms to six years from 2012. The 2020 amendments limited a president to two terms in total but did not count terms served before the change for the sitting president and any former president, which allowed the sitting president to run again in 2024 and, potentially, 2030.
China: An informal norm after the 1980s had top leaders serve about ten years. The 2018 amendment removed the two-term limit on the state presidency, and the party leader began a third term as General Secretary in 2022 and as president in 2023.
Iran: The president can serve two consecutive terms, sit out a term and run again, if the Guardian Council approves the candidacy.
Worked examples
Try each one yourself first, then open the solution.
- Example 1
Arguing about term limits
Develop a claim about whether term limits strengthen democracy, using one course country, and respond to an opposing view.
Show the solutionHide the solution
- Step 1: Claim: Term limits strengthen democracy because they prevent power from building up around one leader.
- Step 2: Evidence: Mexico's one-term rule means every presidential election is open, and the presidency has changed parties three times since 1999, in 2000, 2012 and 2018.
- Step 3: Reasoning: forced turnover limits the advantages an incumbent can build up through patronage and control of the state.
- Step 4: Rebuttal: Critics say limits deny voters the leader they want. But voters still choose among parties and policies, and the limit protects the next election from being tilted by an entrenched incumbent.
Answer: A defensible claim that term limits strengthen democracy, backed by Mexico's single six-year term and answered against the view that limits restrict voter choice.
Common mistakes
- Saying Russia abolished presidential term limits. It kept a two-term limit but reset the count in 2020.
- Giving Mexico's president a two-term limit. It's one six-year term, with no re-election ever.
- Forgetting that the UK prime minister has no term limit.
On the exam
- Learn each country's term length and limit; multiple-choice questions test these facts directly.
- Term limits make a good argument essay topic, so practice arguing both ways with evidence from at least two countries.
Connected topics
Videos
Check yourself
4 questions on 2.4 Executive Term Limits. Pick an answer to see if you got it, and why.
| Country | Chief executive | Length of term | Term limit (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | President | 6 years | One term only, ever |
| Nigeria | President | 4 years | Two terms |
| Russia | President | 6 years | Two terms in total; count reset in 2020 for the sitting president |
| Iran | President | 4 years | Two terms in a row |
| China | President | 5 years | None since 2018 |
| United Kingdom | Prime minister | No fixed term (an election at least every 5 years) | None |
Compiled from each country's constitution and laws
According to the table, which country places the strictest limit on its chief executive?
Which two countries in the table changed their rules in a way that allowed a sitting leader to stay in office longer?
Which of the following is the strongest argument a supporter of term limits could make using the table?
In 2006, Nigeria's Senate rejected a constitutional amendment that would have let the president seek a third term. A supporter of term limits would most likely argue that the decision
0 of 4 answered