It is well-known that in the United States, the president is limited to two terms in office. This is not particularly unusual, and is common practice in many countries around the world. However, this law hasn’t always been around. In fact, it wasn’t until well into the 20th century when this law was introduced. There is only one man who has served more than two terms, and it was his lengthy service as president which prompted lawmakers to introduce the two-term limit.
Popular Presidents
It is not unusual for US presidents to serve two terms in office. There has been a total of 13 presidents who have served two full terms and a few who have served more than one term. Some of the latter completed other presidents’ terms in office, or had their second term cut short by resignation or death.
One president served more than two terms in office. Inaugurated on March 4, 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt presided over the presidency during a critical period in US history, and carried his duties out with such success that he was elected to serve again in 1936, 1940, and 1944. FDR won all these elections by a comfortable margin.
FDR Changes America
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Sign up to our Free Weekly NewsletterWhen FDR came to power, the country was reeling from the effects of the Great Depression. He implemented the New Deal, which was a series of reforms to provide social relief and stabilize the economy. Laws were put in place that protected workers, and made the banking sector far more stable. In doing so, FDR was the principal actor in US economic recovery.
So successful was FDR in his first term that he was elected again in 1936. The New Deal was successful, but it could not completely cure the problem of unemployment in the United States. It was only as a result of the Second World War that things changed drastically in this regard. Military industrialization cured the economic woes, and FDR led the country to victory. Sadly, he would not live to see the final results of his efforts. On April 12, 1945, he collapsed from a cerebral hemorrhage while sitting for a portrait. He died the same day, and Vice President Harry Truman was sworn in as the new president.
FDR died less than a month before Germany’s final surrender, and four months before Japan’s surrender after the use of two atomic bombs.
The Law Changes
Many had feared that unlimited presidential terms would be a threat to democracy. The issue had been discussed ever since the first days of the United States. In 1947, the Twenty-Second Amendment was approved by Congress. This amendment limited the number of terms a president could serve to two. The amendment was submitted to state legislatures for ratification, and finally adopted in 1951.
Conclusion
Through FDR’s guidance the United States emerged as a dominant superpower with a huge stake in international relations. FDR provided the foundations for a powerful United States that stood at the center of Western world and provided the backbone for those who stood against the Soviet Union and its allies.
