In Great Britain, it's about three weeks. Yet, the campaigning for our next national election in November 2000 actually began in January 1999. Almost everything in America involves politics because there's always an election coming up or just ending. Members of Congress can't focus on solving national problems because they are too busy helping or placating constituents so that they will keep them in office. Then there's the daily chore of raising money to finance their next campaign.
Representatives have two-year terms, the shortest of any of the world's democracies.
Terms are for five years in Great Britain, France, Italy and Canada, four years in Germany and Japan and three years in Australia and New Zealand. President Lyndon Johnson proposed it in his State of the Union address in 1966. Senators should then be given eight year terms, with half the Senate standing for re-election every four years. This would greatly reduce the number of elections and take the pressure off the Congress so that they could vote for their country rather than their jobs. No other nation has primary elections like ours, and we in the South make it even worse by requiring primary runoffs to be sure everyone is elected by a majority, a hangover from the days when we were afraid that a black might be elected.