Malcolm Rivera
The Twenty-second Amendment (Amendment XXII) to the United States Constitution limits the number of times a person can be elected to the office of President to twice, and sets additional eligibility conditions for presidents who succeed their predecessors. The amendment was passed by Congress on March 21, 1947, and ratified on February 27, 1951, after Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected president four times from 1932 to 1944, prompted Congress to start drafting an amendment to formalize presidential term limits.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Amendment | Twenty-second Amendment (Amendment XXII) |
| Date of Proposal | 1947 |
| Date of Ratification | February 27, 1951 |
| Number of Terms Permitted | Two |
| Reason for Amendment | To prevent a president from becoming a king |
| Person Responsible for Amendment | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
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What You'll Learn
To prevent a president from becoming a king
The Twenty-second Amendment (Amendment XXII) to the United States Constitution limits the number of times a person can be elected to the office of President of the United States to two terms. The amendment was a reaction to Franklin D. Roosevelt being elected to an unprecedented four terms as president. Roosevelt's violation of the two-term tradition prompted Congress and the states to turn the tradition into a formal matter of constitutional law.
The Twenty-second Amendment was passed to prevent a president from becoming a king, or as Virginia's George Mason put it, to prevent the United States from becoming an "elective monarchy". The amendment aimed to stop any one person or the presidency as a whole from accumulating too much power, which could lead to a dictatorship or some totalitarian form of government.
Thomas Dewey, the Republican nominee in the election against Roosevelt, stated that FDR's four presidential terms represented "the most dangerous threat to our freedom ever proposed". Similarly, Sen. Chapman Revercomb from West Virginia stated that the power given to a president without term limits "would be a definite step in the direction of autocracy, regardless of the name given the office, whether it be president, king, dictator, emperor, or whatever title the office may carry".
The Twenty-second Amendment was approved by Congress on March 21, 1947, and submitted to the state legislatures for ratification. The amendment was ratified on February 27, 1951, when 36 of the 48 states had ratified it, and it came into force on the same date. Since the ratification of the Twenty-second Amendment, all subsequent presidents have served for no longer than two elected terms.
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To prevent dictatorship and totalitarianism
The Twenty-second Amendment (Amendment XXII) to the United States Constitution limits the number of times a person can be elected to the office of President to two terms. The amendment was a response to Franklin D. Roosevelt's unprecedented four terms as president, serving from 1932 to 1945. Roosevelt's violation of the two-term tradition, which had been adhered to by previous presidents, prompted Congress and the states to turn the tradition into a formal matter of constitutional law.
The Twenty-second Amendment was passed to prevent dictatorship and totalitarianism. The concentration of power in the hands of a single individual, without term limits, was seen as a threat to democracy and a step towards autocracy. Sen. Chapman Revercomb from West Virginia stated that the power given to a president without term limits,
> would be a definite step in the direction of autocracy, regardless of the name given the office, whether it be president, king, dictator, emperor, or whatever title the office may carry.
Similarly, Rep. Edward McCowen from Ohio expressed that the 22nd Amendment would be
> a great step toward preventing a dictatorship or some totalitarian form of government from arising.
The amendment aimed to ensure that no individual could accumulate too much power and prevent the presidency from becoming a position of unchecked authority. The two-term limit on the presidency was established to safeguard against the potential abuse of power and the consolidation of authoritarian rule.
The debate over presidential term limits has a long history in American politics, dating back to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The Framers debated the issue extensively, with some supporting lifetime tenure for presidents while others favoured fixed terms. The concern of creating an "elective monarchy" was raised, highlighting the desire to prevent dictatorship and totalitarianism from the earliest days of the nation's founding.
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To avoid presidents accumulating too much power
The Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, which came into force in 1951, limits the number of terms a person can serve as President to two four-year terms.
The idea of limiting presidential terms has been a topic of debate since the Constitution's first ratification. When the concept of an individual holding the title of president was created, the Framers differed in several ways as to how they would be elected, and for how long. Alexander Hamilton and James Madison envisioned a president who would be nominated by Congress and serve for life, which raised concerns about the US becoming an "elective monarchy".
The two-term tradition was first set by George Washington, who decided not to seek a third term as president. Thomas Jefferson, the nation's third president, was also outspoken in favour of the two-term tradition, as he saw a president without term limits as akin to a king and power-hungry.
The Twenty-second Amendment was passed in Congress in 1947, two years after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had been elected president four times. Roosevelt's long tenure and increasing use of executive power, particularly during the world-affecting circumstances of the 1930s and 1940s, caused concern about the accumulation of too much power in the presidency. In the 1944 election, Roosevelt's opponent, Thomas E. Dewey, announced his support for a constitutional amendment to limit presidents to two terms, stating that four terms was "the most dangerous threat to our freedom ever proposed".
Since the ratification of the Twenty-second Amendment, all subsequent presidents have served for no longer than two elected terms. Several attempts have been made to modify or repeal the amendment, but it remains an important check on the power of the presidency and a safeguard against autocracy or dictatorship.
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To prevent presidents from staying in office too long into their old age
The Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1951, limits the number of times a person can be elected to the office of President of the United States to twice. This amendment was a reaction to Franklin D. Roosevelt's election to an unprecedented four terms as president, becoming the only president to exceed eight years in office. Roosevelt's decision to run for a third term was controversial, and his death 11 weeks into his fourth term in 1945 brought the issue of presidential tenure to the fore.
The idea that presidents would stay in office too long into their old age and lose their ability to govern effectively was a concern that predated the Twenty-second Amendment. Jefferson, for instance, worried that without term limits, there was a danger that "the indulgence and attachments of the people will keep a man in the chair after he becomes a dotard." Similarly, Thomas Dewey, the Republican nominee in the 1944 election, stated that FDR's four terms were "the most dangerous threat to our freedom ever proposed."
The Twenty-second Amendment was passed to prevent presidents from staying in office too long into their old age, and to prevent the accumulation of too much power in the executive. The amendment was also designed to address concerns that the United States would effectively become an elective monarchy.
Since the ratification of the Twenty-second Amendment, all subsequent presidents have served for no longer than two elected terms. However, several attempts have been made by presidents and Congress members to either modify or outright repeal the amendment.
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To avoid presidents violating term limits
The Twenty-second Amendment (Amendment XXII) to the United States Constitution limits the number of times a person can be elected to the office of President to two terms. It also sets additional eligibility conditions for presidents who succeed to the unexpired terms of their predecessors. The Amendment was ratified in 1951 as a direct response to Franklin D. Roosevelt serving as president for four terms from 1932 to 1945.
Roosevelt's unprecedented fourth term in office, during which he died just 82 days after his inauguration, prompted Congress to start drafting an amendment to formalize presidential term limits. Thomas Dewey, the Republican nominee in the election, stated that FDR's four terms represented "the most dangerous threat to our freedom ever proposed". Roosevelt's violation of the two-term tradition was a significant concern for Congress and the states, who worried that without term limits, a president could become a king or dictator.
The idea of limiting presidential power to prevent autocracy or dictatorship is not new. Jefferson worried that without term limits, presidents would stay in office too long into their old age and after they had lost their ability to govern effectively. Similarly, Sen. Chapman Revercomb from West Virginia stated that power given to a president without term limits "would be a definite step in the direction of autocracy". The Twenty-second Amendment was thus a way to ensure that no individual could accumulate too much power and to prevent any one person from becoming a dictator.
Since the ratification of the Twenty-second Amendment, there have been several attempts by presidents and Congress members to modify or repeal it. Arguments in favour of repealing the amendment include having consistent leadership in response to a crisis and allowing non-consecutive terms. However, the amendment has been successful in preventing presidents from violating term limits and accumulating too much power.
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Frequently asked questions
The Twenty-second Amendment, which limits the number of times a person can be elected to the office of President of the United States to twice, was passed in response to Franklin D. Roosevelt serving as president for four terms, from 1932 to 1945. Roosevelt's violation of the two-term tradition prompted Congress and the states to turn the tradition into a formal matter of constitutional law.
Thomas Dewey, Roosevelt's opponent in the 1944 election, stated that four terms, or sixteen years, was "the most dangerous threat to our freedom ever proposed". He also discreetly raised the issue of Roosevelt's age, as Jefferson had previously worried about presidents staying in office too long into their old age.
The Twenty-second Amendment (Amendment XXII) to the United States Constitution was ratified on February 27, 1951, and prohibits anyone who has been elected president twice from being elected again. It also states that someone who fills an unexpired presidential term lasting more than two years is prohibited from being elected president more than once.
Congress approved the Twenty-second Amendment on March 21, 1947, and submitted it to the state legislatures for ratification. On February 27, 1951, the amendment was ratified when 36 out of 48 states approved it, and its provisions came into force immediately.
