Episode 46

Why Does the President Only Serve Two Terms?

This week, with the Republican National Convention been and gone, and the Democratic National Convention happening over the next few days, the Presidential race is about to be set in stone.

If Donald Trump wins, he will be only the second President to serve non-consecutive terms in office. But why is there a time limit? When did this start? And can, or should, there be an exception? In this episode, I dive into all of this as I ask… Why Does the President Only Serve Two Terms?

Special Guests:

Emma Long, Associate Professor of American History and Politics and Head of the Department of American Studies at the University of East Anglia
Andrew Moran, Head of Criminology, Sociology, Politics and International Relations at London Metropolitan University.

Highlights from this episode:

(02:18) Why did George Washington step down?

(07:14) An expectation to seek re-election

(10:18) Presidents who chose not to stand for a second term

(15:47) FDR: the trigger that turn precedence into law

(20:23) Can the two term limit be overturned?

(26:32) Trump and the new normal in American politics

(31:49) Family dynasties in politics, from Adams to Trump.

Additional Resources:

READ: Washington’s Farewell Address

READ: National Constitution Center – interpretations of the 22nd Amendment

READ: LBJ chooses not to run again for election (1968)