when and why were term limits placed on the presidency?

Answer 1

Because FDR nearly destroyed America with his near dictatorship and his gross abuses of the Constitution.

Answer 2

George Washington, when he was asked to run for a third term, declined, saying that he did not think it was right for one man to try to establish a dynasty in the Presidency. This created an unwritten tradition that presidents should only serve two terms.

FDR broke that tradition by being elected in 1932, 36, 40, and 44. He died in office and Truman finished out that term and won re-election in 1948. But he lost the Congress, and Congress established the 22nd Amendment to prevent any future President from breaking Washington's unwritten traditional term limit.

Now if only Senators and Congressmen had the same two-term limits. As it is, a multi-term Senator can weild almost as much power as the President, since the Senator will most likely be back, and the President often will not.

Answer 3

The 22d Amendment was adopted by Congress during Truman's term (and ratified in 1951) after Roosevelt ran & was elected 4 times breaking the unwritten tradition of a two term limit. Simply put, Congress feared dictatorship.

Answer 4

Roosevelt DID NOT ask Congress to impose term limits. This was done by resentful Republicans AFTER he was out of office to prevent any popular politician (mainly Democrat) from having an indefinite term of office. Unfortunately for them it prevented a third term for Reagan, but fortunate for us, since he was already suffering from Alzheimer's then, and a bad President to boot, but would have been re-elected.

Roosevelt SAVED America during two crises: The Depression and WWII. It's BUSH who is abusing his power, and deserves to be impeached for it, too!

Answer 5

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the first and only president to be elected to three terms in office. During his third term, he realized the danger of one man staying in office for too long. He realized the potential for abuse of the position and that it could lead to a sort of dictatorship, so he appealed to Congress to impose a two-term limit to keep the position from being abused.

Answer 6

What worries me MORE is that half of America supports him and his neo-con (not Republican) ideology. He broke OUR laws, international law, changed our Constitution after vowing to uphold and protect it, sent our troops to attack and die in Iraq under a SERIES of false pretenses, and accuses those who oppose his VERY un-historically American policies as being unpatriotic Nazis.

Do they WANT a dictatorial police state that the Constitutional changes invite? Do they want laws that favor ONLY their half? Do they really believe biggotry, fear, and hate are "moral"? Are they so violent that any excuse to attack anyone is justified simply because we made that choice? Can they not see their own knee-jerk reactions to fear have skewed their abilty to be rational, and there is nothing brave about their reactions? Do they not realize their Patriot Act ALREADY changed America into something quite different from what they IMAGINE it still is?

THANK GOD for term limits!

Now, for a real good look at our own people!

Answer 7

Term limits were placed with the drafting of the Constitution of the USA.

Due to never ending monarchies the settlers suffered under before revolting.

Answer 8

after roosevelt served 4 terms

Answer 9

because of presidents like Bush

Answer 10

Some fine legislators were thinking years ago that maybe someone like G W Bush would get elected. LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL