The 22nd Amendment - Essay Example

Many historians note that the 22nd Amendment was instituted in reaction to what the founding fathers of the United States wished for the country. The founding fathers thought that without setting a term limit for presidents, the nation would effectively become a monarchy (Moore p. 7). George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe, are some of the presidents who opted not to vie for the presidency for a third term. Their moves in this direction were widely taken positively and impacted the choice of Americans to institute a term limit for presidents.

The 22nd Amendment has been subject to a lot of debate. While others argue that the Amendment when related to the Twelfth Amendment bars people who have served two terms as president cannot qualify to become vice presidents, others note that a former president who served two terms can serve as a vice president legally (Moore p. 7). The latter group argues that the Twenty-second and the Twelfth Amendments talk about eligibility to serve as president and election respectively to the extent that a former president can serve as vice president even if he/she had worked as president for two terms.

In conclusion, the 22nd Amendment clearly bars a person who has served as president for two terms from serving additional terms in the same capacity. The Amendment was enacted with the sole purpose of avoiding the possibility of the nation becoming a monarchy. Works CitedLegal Information Institute. 22ND Amendment. Web. 2013. http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxxii Moore, William. "Law Permits 2 Full Terms for Johnson". The Chicago Tribune. Chicago. 1963. Print. Mount, Steve. "Ratification of Constitutional Amendments" 2007. Web. http://www.

usconstitution.net/constamrat.html#Am12