What the 22nd Amendment Does
The 22nd Amendment limits a U.S. president to two elected terms in office. It also restricts someone who has served more than two years of another president’s term to one additional elected term. The amendment was ratified in 1951 and is part of the U.S. Constitution.
Historical Reasons for the Amendment
Before the amendment, George Washington set a two-term tradition that every president followed until Franklin D. Roosevelt won a third term in 1940 and a fourth in 1944. Supporters argued that lengthy presidencies could threaten democratic accountability and create executive dominance.
How the Amendment Was Passed
Congress proposed the amendment in 1947 after bipartisan concern over extended executive power. States ratified it quickly, and it became part of the Constitution in 1951. The process followed the standard method for constitutional amendments under Article V.
For more background on the amendment process, see the National Archives Amendment Process.
