22nd Amendment

[SoonerATC]

I was recently thinking about how FDR served 4 terms in office and how some critics feared that he might have tried to form a dictatorship had he not died in office, which led to the proposal of the 22nd Amendment limiting future presidents to two terms.

The Amendment was proposed by Congress on March 24, 1947.

3/4 of State legislatures (36 of the 48 states at the time) needed to ratify the amendment within 7 years for it to be adopted

18 states (1/2 of those necessary) ratified it within 2 months of it being proposed by Congress

The 36th state ratified the Amendment on Feb 27, 1951, making it law.

5 states ratified it after it had already been adopted

5 states took no action on the Amendment

2 states rejected the Amendment - Massachusettes and Oklahoma


I kept going down the list of states that ratified the Amendment trying to find Oklahoma and was surprised to see where it was.

 

[10Seconds]

I wish we didnt have it. Not that I want them to serve more terms but this second term crap without having to worry they will be accountable for anything they do is total BS.

 

[mugsy]

Yet, at the time Conservatives who opposed the amendment felt it gave rise to the specter of an imperial unending Presidency. Even if there is a certain freedom in the second term there is also certain weakness - if the President can't get his agenda through within 2 years he is largely dead in the water. Whereas, no matter how popular, no individual gets to personally wield power beyond the 8th year (OK, technically he could get to almost 10 under the right circumstances) and the reigns have to change hands. I think GW was very wise to set this precedent.

 

[ByrdC130]

G. Washington's intent was for politicians to actually serve the people by serving in office and then return to their regular job after their term in office. He did not like, nor wish to see party politics nor lifetime politicians serving in no other capacity than their elected office. He thought it counter productive to the people that someone would become a professional office holder, as then it would lead to governing to keep their office instead of governing for the good of the people.

 

[TwoForFlinching]

Limit congress...

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/pe...te-and-house-representative-benefits/PkxVGhnW

 

[Molan]

I think it would be better for the country if the president, senators, and congresscritters were limited to one six-year term each. This prevents them from becoming any sort of permanent fixture in the Washington political scene, it also prevents them from spending part of their term trying to get elected for additional terms. Hopefully with that kind of turnover it would make for more 'change' and maybe the possibility of some actual work being in done in DC. Plus the turnover would allow for more people with more diverse backgrounds to take part in the country's future.

 

[vvvvvvv]

There still isn't a real limit on how many terms a single individual can hold the office of President. It takes a little legal finagling, but its doable.

 

[Gideon]

Any limit on Congressional terms has to be done at the Federal level. Oklahoma and Arkansas already led that charge at the state level, and only found themselves screwed when they realized that committee seats are handed out my seniority.