📋 Written Ability Test (WAT)/Essay Analysis Guide

🗳️ Should Politicians Have Term Limits?

🌟 Understanding the Topic’s Importance

Term limits are pivotal in ensuring a balanced governance structure. For B-school aspirants, this debate touches on ethical leadership, organizational succession planning, and policy design, making it a relevant and thought-provoking topic.

🕒 Effective Planning and Writing

• Planning: 5 minutes
• Writing: 20 minutes
• Reviewing: 5 minutes

✍️ Introduction Techniques for Essays

• Contrast Approach: “While term limits protect democracy from authoritarian risks, they may also deprive nations of seasoned leadership.”
• Solution-Oriented Approach: “Term limits could safeguard democratic institutions if paired with mechanisms to ensure leadership quality and continuity.”

📊 Structuring the Essay Body

🏆 Achievements

Highlight the positive impact of term limits in fostering democracy and accountability.

• Topic Sentence: Term limits play a critical role in enhancing democratic accountability and preventing power monopolization.
• Evidence: The U.S. 22nd Amendment ensures leadership rotation, maintaining democratic traditions.
• Example: Costa Rica’s single-term presidential limit fosters political diversity and reduces power centralization.
• Impact Analysis: These measures inspire public trust, reduce risks of authoritarianism, and enable fresh perspectives in policy-making.

🚧 Challenges

Discuss drawbacks such as the loss of experienced leaders and policy instability.

• Topic Sentence: Term limits pose challenges that may hinder governance and long-term policy implementation.
• Evidence: Long-serving leaders like Angela Merkel provided critical stability during crises in Germany.
• Example: In Mexico, frequent leadership changes disrupted economic reform momentum.
• Implications: Premature leadership changes can lead to gaps in institutional knowledge, impacting governance effectiveness.

🔮 Future Outlook

Propose mechanisms to balance term limits with governance needs.

• Topic Sentence: A hybrid approach blending term limits with retaining institutional expertise can ensure balanced governance.
• Global Comparison: France and Canada employ performance evaluations and advisory roles for outgoing leaders.
• Recommendations: Establish advisory councils for retired leaders, introduce performance-based reviews, and foster public-private partnerships.
• Vision: Strengthen democratic institutions, balancing fresh leadership with sustained governance efficacy.

✒️ Sample Short Essays

Balanced Perspective

“Term limits foster political accountability and curb authoritarian tendencies by restricting prolonged tenures. At the same time, frequent leadership changes may hinder the execution of long-term policy objectives. By integrating term limits with robust advisory systems, democracies can ensure governance that is both innovative and stable.”

Solution-Oriented

“As a safeguard against entrenched power, term limits can revitalize governance. However, they must be supported by frameworks that leverage the expertise of outgoing leaders through advisory councils, ensuring continuity in policy implementation while encouraging fresh perspectives.”

Global Comparison

“Costa Rica’s successful implementation of term limits highlights how democracy can thrive with leadership rotation, while Venezuela’s removal of limits underscores the risks of unchecked power. To strike a balance, countries can adopt tailored solutions, blending term limits with leadership audits and succession planning.”

🎯 Recommendations for Sustainable Progress

• Adopt a Hybrid Model: Combine term limits with advisory roles for former leaders to ensure continuity in policy execution.
• Introduce Performance-Based Evaluations: Regularly review politicians’ performance to ensure accountability alongside leadership rotation.
• Public Awareness Campaigns: Educate citizens on the importance of term limits and democratic renewal to foster support.