Eleanor Finch
The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1951, limits the number of terms a U.S. president may serve to two. This amendment was proposed by Congress in 1947, following Franklin D. Roosevelt's four terms in office, and was ratified by 36 states in 1951, with Minnesota being the final state to approve it. The 22nd Amendment has been a topic of debate, with some calling for its repeal as it limits the democratic choice of voters.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To limit the number of terms a US president can serve to two |
| Date proposed | March 24, 1947 |
| Date ratified | February 27, 1951 |
| Number of states that ratified | 38 |
| Number of states that rejected | 2 |
| Number of states that took no action | 5 |
| Number of repeal attempts | 54 joint resolutions |
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What You'll Learn
The 22nd Amendment limits presidential terms
The 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution limits presidential terms to two terms. It was formally proposed by Congress in 1947 and ratified in 1951. The amendment was a response to Franklin D. Roosevelt's four terms in office, which broke the two-term precedent that had been established. Roosevelt was first elected in 1932, and he won reelection in 1936. In 1940, with Europe engulfed in war and the United States potentially being drawn in, Roosevelt agreed to run for a third term, despite earlier misgivings. He ran again and won a fourth term in 1944 but died shortly after his inauguration in 1945.
The 22nd Amendment was created to prevent this from happening again and to reorganize and reform the federal government. It states that "no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice". Additionally, it specifies that anyone who has served as President for more than two years of a term that another person was elected to shall be limited to one further term. However, this does not apply to anyone who was already in office when the amendment was proposed or ratified.
Since its implementation, the 22nd Amendment has prevented six twice-elected presidents from running for a third term: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. The incumbent as of 2025, Donald Trump, is also barred from seeking a third term, despite his two terms being non-consecutive.
There has been some controversy surrounding the 22nd Amendment. Some argue that it infringes on democratic rights, and there have been calls for its repeal or alteration. For instance, in 1956, just five years after the amendment was ratified, the first efforts in Congress to repeal it were undertaken. Over the next 50 years, 54 joint resolutions seeking to repeal the two-term presidential election limit were introduced. In 2000, Bill Clinton suggested that the amendment should be changed to allow for non-consecutive terms. However, the Supreme Court has upheld the amendment, stating that term limits amount to a qualification for holding public office.
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The Amendment was ratified in 1951
The 22nd Amendment of the United States Constitution, which imposes term limitations on the President of the United States, was ratified in 1951. The process of ratification began when Congress approved the Amendment on March 21, 1947, and submitted it to the state legislatures for ratification. It took nearly four years for the Amendment to be ratified, with the process finally being completed on February 27, 1951, when the requisite 36 of the 48 states had ratified it.
The 22nd Amendment prohibits anyone who has been elected President twice from being elected to office again. It also prohibits anyone who has served as President for more than two years of a term to which another person was elected from being elected to the office more than once. The Amendment was designed to prevent any individual from being elected to the Presidency more than twice.
The ratification of the 22nd Amendment was a significant moment in American political history. Since becoming operative in 1951, the Amendment has barred six twice-elected presidents from seeking a third term: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. The Amendment has been the subject of much debate, with the first efforts to repeal it being undertaken in 1956, just five years after its ratification. Over the next 50 years, numerous joint resolutions were introduced seeking to repeal the two-term presidential election limit. Despite these efforts, the 22nd Amendment remains in force and continues to shape the American political landscape.
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It was created to prevent Roosevelt from being re-elected
The 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution, ratified in 1951, limits the President of the United States to two terms in office. This amendment was passed in response to Franklin D. Roosevelt's unprecedented fourth-term election victory in 1944. Roosevelt's decision to run for a third term in 1940 had already sparked controversy and broken a two-term precedent set by George Washington in 1796.
Roosevelt's unprecedented third-term election victory in 1940 and subsequent fourth-term victory in 1944 led to concerns about the potential for a long-term presidency. This concern was shared by both the public and politicians. In 1944, Republican candidate Thomas Dewey stated that the possibility of a 16-year Roosevelt presidency was a "threat to democracy".
In March 1947, a Republican-controlled Congress approved the 22nd Amendment, which was then submitted to the states for ratification. The amendment was ratified in 1951, and it barred any individual who had been elected President twice from being elected again. This amendment prevented any future president from serving more than two terms and, therefore, prevented Roosevelt from being re-elected to a fifth term.
It is important to note that the 22nd Amendment does not explicitly prohibit a president from serving a third term. Instead, it focuses on limiting individuals from being elected to the presidency more than twice. This ambiguity has led to some interesting interpretations and potential loopholes, such as the possibility of a former two-term president becoming a vice president and then succeeding to the presidency upon the incumbent's death, resignation, or removal.
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The Amendment has been called into question
The 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution, which limits the president to two terms, has been called into question several times over the years. The amendment was ratified in 1951, and since then, there have been numerous attempts to modify or repeal it.
One of the main arguments against the 22nd Amendment is that it infringes on democratic rights. Some people argue that term limits restrict the ability of voters to choose their preferred candidate. This argument was made by President Ronald Reagan, who, a few days before leaving office in 1989, said he would push for a repeal of the amendment. Similarly, in a 2000 interview, President Bill Clinton suggested altering the amendment to allow for non-consecutive terms.
Another point of contention regarding the 22nd Amendment is its interaction with the 12th Amendment. The 12th Amendment, ratified in 1804, stipulates that the qualifications of age, citizenship, and residency apply to the president and vice president. However, it does not explicitly address the issue of term limits. As a result, there is ambiguity about whether a two-term president could still be elected as vice president and then potentially succeed to the presidency. This interpretation has been debated, with some arguing that the 12th and 22nd Amendments together bar any two-term president from serving as vice president, while others contend that the original intent of the 12th Amendment was focused on qualifications for service rather than election.
The 22nd Amendment has also been criticised as being unnecessary and a reaction to a unique set of circumstances. The push for the amendment was largely driven by Franklin D. Roosevelt's decision to run for a third term in 1940, during the midst of World War II. However, throughout US history, few presidents have expressed a desire to serve more than two terms. The decision by George Washington to voluntarily step down after two terms established an unofficial tradition that was largely respected until the unique circumstances of the 20th century.
Despite the calls for modification or repeal, the 22nd Amendment has been largely uncontroversial, and no president has served more than two elected terms since its ratification. The amendment has successfully prevented six twice-elected presidents from seeking a third term and continues to shape the US political landscape.
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There have been attempts to repeal the Amendment
The 22nd Amendment, which limits the US president to two terms in office, has been the subject of several attempted repeals since its ratification in 1951. The first efforts to repeal the amendment came in 1956, just five years after it was ratified. Over the next 50 years, 54 joint resolutions seeking to repeal the two-term presidential election limit were introduced.
In 1987, the New York Times reported that President Ronald Reagan wanted to start a movement to repeal the amendment, as he believed it infringed on people's democratic rights. Reagan, who was in his late 70s at the time, would have been able to run for a third term had the amendment been repealed. Similarly, in 2000, former President Bill Clinton suggested that the amendment should be altered to allow presidents to serve two consecutive terms and then allow for non-consecutive terms, citing longer life expectancies as a reason for the change.
Between 1997 and 2013, Representative José E. Serrano introduced nine resolutions (one per Congress, all unsuccessful) to repeal the amendment. In January 2025, Representative Andy Ogles introduced a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment that would allow a president to serve a third term if their first two terms were non-consecutive. This resolution was aimed at allowing then-incumbent President Donald Trump, who had been elected to two non-consecutive terms, to run for a third term. Trump himself had also suggested repealing the 22nd Amendment to allow presidents to serve more than two terms.
Some arguments in favour of repealing the 22nd Amendment include allowing for consistent leadership during times of crisis and enabling non-consecutive terms. However, opponents of repealing the amendment argue that unlimited terms could lead to political stagnation and encourage authoritarianism.
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Frequently asked questions
The 22nd Amendment was founded by Congress in 1947, and ratified in 1951.
The 22nd Amendment was founded to limit the number of terms a US President may serve to two.
Since becoming operative in 1951, the 22nd Amendment has barred six twice-elected presidents from election to a third term: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.
Yes, there have been several attempts to repeal the 22nd Amendment, with 54 joint resolutions introduced between 1956 and 2013.
