You're right in that the U.S. has a lot to be proud of. The stability you mention for such a big country is admirable for sure. Of course there are problems, but what country doesn't? I think if term limits can apply to the President, they should apply to Senators as well. Why not? And what is there to prevent changing those rules?

Special interest groups are a whole 'nother animal, though. It's downright ridiculous to see the hold some of these groups have over the electionary process and the elected officials. Some of these don't even hide their intentions of controlling who gets elected and why. Maybe "controlling" is a strong word, but there is certainly a vast amount of influence. A couple of my "favorites" are the NRA and the oil lobby. The NRA even has a rating system for Presidential candidates, which I just found out the other day, and couldn't help laughing out loud.