| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
1.1 Section 1
No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this Article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.
1.2 Section 2
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.
Few Presidents had attempted to serve for more than two terms until Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Ulysses S. Grant had sought a third term in office after serving from 1869 to 1877, but his party failed to nominate him. Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt Order 26th President Term of Office September 14, 1901 March 4, 1909 Predecessor William McKinley Successor William Howard Taft Date of Birth Wednesday, October 27, 1858 Place of Birth New York City Date of Death Monday, January 6, 1919, who served from 1901Events January 1 World celebrates what is regarded as the start of the new century. Zero-ists' argument that new century should be celebrated in 1900 rejected worldwide). January 1 The six colonies that make up Australia are federated as under an act of t to 1909Events January 5 Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. January 16 Ernest Shackleton's expedition finds the magnetic South Pole. January 28 United States troops leave Cuba after being there since the Spanish-American War. February 12 The National, sought to be elected for a second time (he was not elected to his first term, instead succeeding upon the death of William McKinleyWilliam McKinley Order 25th President Term of Office March 4, 1897 September 14, 1901 Predecessor Grover Cleveland Successor Theodore Roosevelt Date of Birth January 29, 1843 Place of Birth Niles, Ohio Date of Death September 14, 1901 Place of Death Buffa) in 19121912 is a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar) Events January 1 Establishment of Republic of China. January 6 New Mexico is admitted as the 47th U. January 17 British polar explorer Robert Falcon Scott and a team of four begin the, but lost to Woodrow WilsonWoodrow Wilson Order 28th President Term of Office Tuesday, March 4, 1913 Friday, March 4, 1921 Predecessor William Howard Taft Successor Warren G. Harding Date of Birth Sunday, December 28, 1856 Place of Birth Staunton, Virginia Date of Death Sunday, Feb. Franklin Delano Roosevelt became the first person to successfully contest three presidential elections in 1940Events January-February January 5 FM radio is demonstrated to the FCC for the first time. January 6 World War II: Mass execution of Poles, committed by Germans in the Poznan, Warthegau. January 12 World War II: Russia bombs cities in Finland. February 2 F, while World War IIWorld War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the world's nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. The war was fough was raging. In 1944, Franklin Roosevelt won a fourth term, but died in office.
After Franklin Roosevelt's death, many desired to establish a firm constitutional provision barring Presidents from being elected more than twice; hence, the Twenty-second Amendment was adopted. Under the amendment, no person may be elected president more than twice. Furthermore, no Vice President or other person who has succeeded to the presidency, and served as President or Acting President for more than two years, may be elected president more than once. Under the Amendment, one person may serve for ten consecutive years as president: that person would first succeed to the Presidency and serve for not more than two years, and then be elected to two full four-year terms. Thus, the only president that was eligible to serve more than two terms was Lyndon Johnson, because when John F. Kennedy was assassinated, he had served more than 2 years of his term. Had LBJ run in 1968 and won, he would have been in office for ten years. One may note that the Amendment's terms provide the limit does not apply to the individual serving as President at the time of its ratification ( Harry S. Truman).
Some have questioned the interpretation of the Twenty-second Amendment as it relates to the Twelfth Amendment. The Twelfth Amendment provides that anyone constitutionally ineligible to the office of President is ineligible to that of Vice President. Clearly, the original constitutional qualifications (age, citizenship and residency) apply under the Twelfth Amendment to both the President and Vice President. It is unclear, however, if a two-term President could later be elected Vice President. Some argue that the Twenty-second Amendment and Twelfth Amendment bar any two-term President from later serving as Vice President and from succeeding to the Presidency from any point in the line of succession. Others suggest that the Twelfth Amendment concerns qualification for service, while the Twenty-second Amendment concerns qualifications for election. No two-term President has later sought to become Vice President since the ratification of the Twenty-Second Amendment; thus, the courts have never had an opportunity to decide the question.
Former U.S. president Bill Clinton has recently voiced his opinion in favor of modifications to the 22nd Amendment. According to Mr. Clinton, former presidents and vice presidents who have already served two terms should be allowed to run for the office again, after some interim period has passed. He reasoned the country may wish to trust leadership onto an already tried and proven candidate in times of great need.