What is the 22nd Amendment?

The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads in part: '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.'

Congress proposed the amendment in 1947, and it was ratified in 1951. The impetus was Franklin D. Roosevelt's unprecedented four-term presidency (1933-1945). Before FDR, presidents honored a two-term tradition established by George Washington, but that tradition had no legal force. The 22nd Amendment made the limit constitutional.

The amendment distinguishes between elected and unelected time in office. If a vice president ascends to the presidency with more than two years remaining in the term, that period counts as a term. If a VP ascends with two years or fewer remaining, that time does not count as a full term for purposes of the limit.

The amendment applies exclusively to the executive office of the president. It does not limit how many times a person may serve as vice president, senator, representative, governor, or in any other office.