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Setting the Terms (1080L)
Before Reading Poll
In 1947, Congress passed an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that limited presidents to two terms. People
who support these term limits believe that no one person should be in power for too long. Those who oppose the
limits believe that voters should decide whether a president serves more than two terms.
Do you agree or disagree that there should be no limit to the number of terms a president can serve.
Explain your response in 2-3 sentences. Do not use the word “I,” you must agree or disagree, not both.
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Article: PART 1
Photo credit: Library of Congress
On January 20, 1941, Franklin Delano Roosevelt took the Presidential Oath of Office for
the third time.
In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was approaching the end of his
second term in office, and if precedent was anything to go by, it would
be his last. George Washington had served two terms150 years before,
establishing a custom that would be followed almost without
exception. But on July 18, 1940, the Democratic Party nominated
Roosevelt as its presidential candidate for the third consecutive time. Roosevelt (also known as FDR) would
become the only U.S. president to win a third—and then a fourth—term.
In 1940, there was no official limit on the number of terms a president could serve. However, an example
of sorts had been established after George Washington resisted calls to run for office a third time in 1796.
Washington looked forward to finding peace in retirement. More than that, however, he felt that political
ambition was distasteful. He associated ambition with a desire for power—the kind of power held by kings,
not U.S. presidents. So after eight years in office, Washington believed, it was time to give someone else a
chance.
Most subsequent presidents took Washington's example, limiting their time in office to a maximum of two
terms. Only two presidents had even sought third terms. Ulysses S. Grant failed to win his party's
nomination for a third term in 1880. Theodore Roosevelt ran unsuccessfully in 1912. Like Grant and the
earlier Roosevelt, FDR tried to flout tradition. Unlike those presidents, however, he succeeded.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president for the first time in 1932, then again in 1936. In both elections,
the wildly popular FDR won almost every state. Roosevelt's desire to serve for a third term was surprising
to some. Hehad stated early in his presidency that he was generally not in favor of extending a period in
office beyond what was customary. But as the 1930s wore down, events across the Atlantic seemed to
change his mind.
In 1939, World War II broke out in Europe after German Chancellor Adolf Hitler invaded Poland as part of
an effort to conquer the entire continent. Great Britain and France declared war against Germany, which
nonetheless seized much of Western Europe by 1940. While the U.S. was not yet militarily involved, the
conflict was of great concern to Americans. At the same time, Roosevelt believed that he had unfinished
business in the U.S., which was still suffering the devastating effects of the Great Depression. For these
reasons, Roosevelt decided to try for a third term.
Not everyone liked the idea (including some within Roosevelt's own political party). By the Democratic
National Convention in July 1940, however, party leaders had worked together to drum up enough support
for a Roosevelt nomination.
Roosevelt had won re-election by a landslide in 1936, but 1940 was a different story. Many Americans
objected to Roosevelt's New Deal, a series of federal programs designed to regulate the banks, reduce
unemployment, and provide aid to farmers and senior citizens. Opponents of the New Deal believed it gave
the government too much power. Some of Roosevelt's harshest critics sat on the U.S. Supreme Court,
which ruled key components of the New Deal unconstitutional. The justices asserted that Roosevelt had
illegally imposed the power of the federal government on state governments.
The court's anti-New Deal rulings were highly controversial. So too was Roosevelt's response. The
president devised a plan to add six new judges to the Supreme Court. The unpopular "court-packing" plan
failed to get through Congress. The plan also added fuel to the view that Roosevelt did not respect the
boundaries of his powers. Some political cartoons of the era portrayed Roosevelt not as a president but as a
king.
In light of these events, how did FDR succeed in securing his party's nomination for a third term?
While many people objected strongly to what they saw as Roosevelt's brazen actions, FDR's overall
popularity remained intact as his second term wound down. Roosevelt had taken decisive action to combat
the effects of the Great Depression. Although the economy remained weak, the New Deal had in fact put
people to work. This improved morale for millions of Americans. Meanwhile, the war overseas created new
uncertainties about America's future. Many people felt that the nation required a trusted and experienced
leader.
Recognizing this enduring popularity, the Democratic Party chose Roosevelt as their nominee in 1940.
FDR would be re-elected that year, and then to a fourth term in 1944. (He died in office in 1945, having
served for 12 years.)
After FDR's time in office, concerns about long presidencies remained. The 22nd Amendment, passed by
Congress in 1947 and ratified by the states in 1951, officially limited presidents to two terms in office.
Roosevelt would be the first and last U.S. president to be elected more than twice.
PART 2
Dig Deeper
The 22nd Amendment limited the tenure of U.S. presidents to two terms. The only other parameters for the
presidency appear in the main body of the U.S. Constitution, which states:
No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the
Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be
eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen
Years a Resident within the United States.
But who exactly is a "natural born" U.S. citizen? While the question has been debated for years, the term is
generally defined as a person who was born in the U.S. or whose parents were both born in the U.S. The
person must also have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years. Anyone else—even a person who has become a
U.S. citizen—is not eligible to be president of the United States. The Founding Fathers made this condition
to reduce the likelihood that a president could be influenced by a foreign government.
The requirement that presidents be at least 35 years old is meant to ensure
that the nation's leader has accumulated requisite wisdom and life
experience. So far, most presidents have been much older than 35. (The
youngest, Theodore Roosevelt, took office at age 42.)
The Constitution puts no other limits on the presidency. There's no mention
of gender, ethnic background, education level, or even political
experience.However, the nation and its voters have, via the voting booth,
established some unofficial job requirements. For example, most U.S.
presidents have had at least some college education. (The most recent
president who did not attend college was Harry S. Truman, who took office
in 1945.) In addition, all presidents have had some form of government or
leadership experience. Most of them held political positions, such as serving
in the Senate or in the president's cabinet. Others served in the military.
The Constitution and the term-limit amendment set official boundaries for
the presidency. After that, it's up to voters to choose the person they consider
best for the job. Exactly what that means is up to them!
Should There Be Term
Limits?
For years, members of
Congress from both major
political parties have
proposed the repeal of the
22nd Amendment. Some
argue that term limits are
undemocratic in that they
ignore the will of voters who
might want a president to
have a third term. Those who
support the amendment's
repeal also argue that
presidents who cannot run
for re-election have less of an
incentive to please voters.
Therefore, they may be less
likely to act in the people's
interest. Term-limit
opponents also point out that
presidents who have served
two terms have gained
experience that should not be
wasted by forcing them to
leave office.
Dictionary
brazen (adjective) without shame
component (noun) a part of a larger whole
eligible (adjective) qualified to do or get something
intact (adjective) unchanged, whole, or undamaged
parameter (noun) a rule or limit
precedent (noun) an established practice or custom
subsequent (adjective) after something else in time or order; following
Activity: PART 1
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Question 1
What is this article mainly about?
World War II broke out in Europe in 1939 after German Chancellor Adolf Hitler invaded Poland.
Washington resisted calls to run for office a third time because he associated power with kings, not U.S.
presidents.
For various reasons, the U.S. Supreme Court's anti-New Deal rulings were highly controversial.
For various reasons, Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only U.S. president elected to more than two terms.
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Question 2
What cause and effect relationship is described in this article?
Ulysses S. Grant failed to win his party's nomination for a third term because the United States was
devastated by the Great Depression.
Adolf Hitler invaded Poland because Great Britain and France had declared war against Germany.
George Washington resisted calls to run for office a third time because he felt that political ambition was
distasteful.
Franklin D. Roosevelt sought a third term because many opponents of the New Deal believed it gave the
government too much power.
Question 3
Which passage from the article best supports the opinion that it was important to Americans in 1940 to elect an
experienced leader?
The war overseas created new uncertainties about America's future.
He associated ambition with a desire for power—the kind of power held by kings, not U.S. presidents.
The court's anti-New Deal rulings were highly controversial.
The president devised a plan to add six new judges to the Supreme Court.
Question 4
Which is the closest antonym for the word subsequent?
Preceding
Reliable
Predetermined
Respectable
Question 5
Which of these is a statement of fact?
Some political cartoons portrayed President Roosevelt as a king.
The Great Depression was the most devastating event of the 20th century.
In times of political or economic unrest, an experienced leader is the wisest option.
A president who tries to flout established tradition is acting in a distasteful manner.
Question 6
The article states:
While the U.S. was not yet militarily involved, the conflict was of great concern to Americans.
At the same time, Roosevelt believed that he had unfinished business in the U.S., which was still
suffering the devastating effects of the Great Depression.
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The author's purpose for writing this passage was to _________.
Persuade the reader to agree that Roosevelt made a good choice in seeking a third term
Explain why the conflict in Europe was of great concern to Americans
Provide some of the reasons Roosevelt chose to seek a third term
Explain why the U.S. would ultimately become involved in World War II
Question 7
The article states:
The court's anti-New Deal rulings were highly controversial.
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Look at the sentence and think about the article. Which would be the closest synonym for the
word controversial?
Feeble
Secretive
Foremost
Divisive
Question 8
This article would be most useful as a source for a student research project on __________.
The Constitutional rules regarding the presidency
The goals of the Democratic National Convention of 1940
The events that led up to World War II
The disastrous economic effects of the Great Depression
PART 2
Question 9
What are the parameters that determine who is eligible to become the U.S. president? CIRCLE the three correct
answers.
The person must have been a senator or a presidential cabinet member.
The person must have previously served in the military.
The person must not have already served two terms as president.
The person must be at least 35 years old.
The person must have at least some college education.
The person must have resided within the United States for at least 14 years.
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Question 10
Look at the sidebar on page 2 of the Article. Select two statements that support the claim that the
22nd Amendment should be repealed.
A president who is not eligible to run for re-election may be overly motivated to act in the voters' best
interest.
A president who has already served two terms in office has gained experience and knowledge that could be
useful in a third term.
The repeal of the 22nd Amendment is favored by a majority of the members of Congress from both major
political parties.
Term limits are not democratic because voters may want the current president to serve a third term.