United States Constitution 22nd Amendment

Amendment XXII (1951)

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.

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.

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The 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1951, set a two-term limit for the office of the President. This landmark amendment was a direct response to Franklin D. Roosevelt's unprecedented four-term presidency, which ignited concerns about the potential for unchecked executive power and the need for regular leadership turnover. The 22nd Amendment reflects the framers' commitment to preventing the consolidation of authority in a single individual and ensuring a healthy rotation of leadership in the nation's highest office. By mandating presidential term limits, the amendment serves as a crucial safeguard of democratic principles and the balance of power within the executive branch, shaping the landscape of American governance for generations to come.