It Could be Worse Monday: Presidential

Franklin Delano Roosevelt served his first term as the president from 1933-1937.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt served his second term as the president from 1937-1941.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt served his third term as the president from 1941-1945.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt served his fourth term as the president from 1945 until his death in 1947.

After Roosevelt's death, the newly Republican 80th United States Congress desired to establish a firm constitutional provision barring presidents from being elected more than twice. On March 21, 1947, the Twenty-second Amendment was passed:


Amendment XXII

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.

It could be worse, the Twenty-second amendment could not exist, and there could be four more years of this: