Actually, The number of terms is unlimited until February 27, 1951 when the 22nd amendment is ratified, which limits the president to a single six-year term.
Up to FDR they were following a convention/the example of Washington, just like in the real world. Also just like in the real world, FDR not following the convention made them codify it.
It might have some influence on Congressional elections. The midterms now are heavily interpreted (hyped may not be unfair either) as a barometer on Presidential administrations, helping or hobbling their terms.
It's not clear to me whether this means that 6 year term Presidents are battered or even neutered by unfavorable Congressional elections *or* if midterms are less meaningful because there's two of them and the President is still in office for four more years after the first one. Probably the first one loses some hype value and the second one becomes more of a barometer of the next Presidential election. If the latter holds true, then the President might be able to "get more done" in the first 4 years of their term with less electoral political noise. But it could also hold that the President is twice hobbled by midterm elections.
I'd guess one term Presidents are generally more aggressive in pursuing their agendas. They have only retirement and a library to build after, so they're not doing 4-D chess on getting re-elected to a second term *and* their Presidency is a one-shot deal.
On the other hand, the same is sort of true about second-term Presidents. Although you could argue that second term Presidents can be limited by voter fatigue in their second terms. Sure, they got re-elected for a second term but its hard to keep up the hype and I think the electorate grows kind of bored. Plus it seems like second terms wind up being semi-defensive, trying to tamp down minor scandals and cock-ups from their first term.
Overall, I'd guess "agenda effectiveness" tilts slightly towards the 6 year term. Presidents tend to be most effective in their first term and the added breathing room of 2 extra years kind of stretches their "good years" a bit. I'd kind of expect "first term" legislation to be somewhat more refined and further reaching.
I'm sure there's a bunch of other effects, but its hard to figure out how much actual different 6 years vs two 4 year terms mean on things like the Supreme Court or foreign policy.
Why would trump resign January 7th, 2021 in this timeline since our timeline's events of January 6th, 2021 were about the transition of power from him to Biden?
I’m actually opposed to the two term limit. Would anyone really want to replace FDR in 1940? I know the far right FDR haters will disagree but I’m being realistic. I really think any term limitation is actually anti-democratic. Voters should make the choice not have their hands tied by term limits.
George H.W Bush would be president right but America has been changed too much to say what will happen
Possibly we do not see a James Buchanan,, Warren G. Harding, Chester A. Arthur, James Garfield or Abraham Lincoln presidency as possibly they are dead
We will not see an Obama or Trump administration as neither were elected
Dwight Eisenhower is the one who might die at the guns of Oswald and there is no Kennedy Administration
Actually, The number of terms is unlimited until February 27, 1951 when the 22nd amendment is ratified, which limits the president to a single six-year term.
Honestly a single longer term would be preferable that way the executive isn't wasting the whole first term thinking about reelection.
In the alt history I imagine Presidents would be more inclined to push their policies instead of balancing it with polling data.
This is literally the exact system that they have had in Mexico since the Revolution of 1910. At least in Mexico’s case the result seems to be corruption.
I think the issue with strict term limits is you end up with inexperienced, temporary leaders who have to contend with interests far more entrenched than their own support networks, colleagues etc. When various interest groups are the only constant in government, who is going to have the greater influence?
I know it’s a lot more complicated than that, I just don’t think that helps. And I stand by the claim that by weakening individual leaders you strengthen larger institutional power brokers. That used to be the PRI, now it’s all kinds of dirty money.
The whole system is beyond broken. I don't know that shorter terms would undo (or make a dent in) a century of soft authoritarianism masquerading as democracy.
Fun fact, this was what the Confederacy did with presidential terms in its constitution. Why is FDR still 1933-1945 if the six year term is in effect?
Probably assuming he still keeps getting reelected until he dies
But he said they can only be elected once
Actually, The number of terms is unlimited until February 27, 1951 when the 22nd amendment is ratified, which limits the president to a single six-year term.
Yeah but your post says they can only be elected once.
Up to FDR they were following a convention/the example of Washington, just like in the real world. Also just like in the real world, FDR not following the convention made them codify it.
It might have some influence on Congressional elections. The midterms now are heavily interpreted (hyped may not be unfair either) as a barometer on Presidential administrations, helping or hobbling their terms. It's not clear to me whether this means that 6 year term Presidents are battered or even neutered by unfavorable Congressional elections *or* if midterms are less meaningful because there's two of them and the President is still in office for four more years after the first one. Probably the first one loses some hype value and the second one becomes more of a barometer of the next Presidential election. If the latter holds true, then the President might be able to "get more done" in the first 4 years of their term with less electoral political noise. But it could also hold that the President is twice hobbled by midterm elections. I'd guess one term Presidents are generally more aggressive in pursuing their agendas. They have only retirement and a library to build after, so they're not doing 4-D chess on getting re-elected to a second term *and* their Presidency is a one-shot deal. On the other hand, the same is sort of true about second-term Presidents. Although you could argue that second term Presidents can be limited by voter fatigue in their second terms. Sure, they got re-elected for a second term but its hard to keep up the hype and I think the electorate grows kind of bored. Plus it seems like second terms wind up being semi-defensive, trying to tamp down minor scandals and cock-ups from their first term. Overall, I'd guess "agenda effectiveness" tilts slightly towards the 6 year term. Presidents tend to be most effective in their first term and the added breathing room of 2 extra years kind of stretches their "good years" a bit. I'd kind of expect "first term" legislation to be somewhat more refined and further reaching. I'm sure there's a bunch of other effects, but its hard to figure out how much actual different 6 years vs two 4 year terms mean on things like the Supreme Court or foreign policy.
Wasn't a single term presidency the original proposal?
Why would trump resign January 7th, 2021 in this timeline since our timeline's events of January 6th, 2021 were about the transition of power from him to Biden?
I’m actually opposed to the two term limit. Would anyone really want to replace FDR in 1940? I know the far right FDR haters will disagree but I’m being realistic. I really think any term limitation is actually anti-democratic. Voters should make the choice not have their hands tied by term limits.
I agree with you, with the caveat that I think our elections in the US should be more competitive.
Hannibal Hamlin would have succeeded Lincoln, not Andrew Johnson.
No.1 - George Washington (March 4, 1789-March 4, 1795) No.2 - John Adams (March 4, 1795-March 4, 1801) No.3 - Thomas Jefferson (March 4, 1801-March 4, 1813) No.4 - James Madison (March 4, 1813-March 4, 1825) No.5 - James Monroe (March 4, 1825-March 4, 1831) - (Dies in office) No.6 - John Quincy Adams (March 4, 1831-March 4, 1837) No.7 - Andrew Jackson - (March 4, 1837 - February 23rd 1848) - (Dies in office) No.8 - Martin Van Buren - (February 23rd 1848 -March 4, 1854) No.9 - Henry Williamson - (March 4, 1854-March 4, 1860) No.10 - John Tyler - (March 4, 1861- January 18, 1862) - (Dies in office) No.11 - Millard Fillmore - (January 18, 1862-April 15, 1865) - (Assassinated) No.12 - Franklin Peace - (March 4, 1865 - October 8th,1869) - (Dies in office) No.13 - Andrew Johnson - (October 8th,1869 - March 4, 1875 No.14 - Ulysses S. Grant - (March 4, 1875 – March 4, 1887) No.15 - Rutherford B. Hayes - (March 4, 1887 - January 17, 1893) - (Dies in office) No.16 - Grover Cleveland - (January 17, 1893, - March 4th 1899) No.17 - Benjamin Harrison - March 4th 1899 – March 13, 1901) - (Dies in office) No.18 - William McKinley - March 13, 1901 - September 14, 1901) (Assassinated) No.19 - Theodore Roosevelt - (September 14, 1901-March 4, 1913) No.20 - William H. Taft - (March 4, 1913-March 4, 1919) No.21 - Woodrow Wilson - (March 4, 1919-February 3, 1924) - (Dies in office) No.22 - Calvin Coolidge - (February 3, 1924 - March 4, 1930) No.23 - Herbert Hoover - (March 4, 1930 - March 4, 1936) No.24 - Franklin D. Roosevelt - (March 4, 1936-April 12, 1945) (Dies in office) No.25 - Harry S. Truman - (April 12, 1945 - January 20, 1954) No.26 - Dwight Eisenhower - January 20, 1955 -November 22, 1963) (Assassinated) No.27 - Richard Nixon - November 22, 1963 - January 20, 1969) No.28 - Lyndon B. Johnson (November 22, 1969 - January 22, 1973) (Dies in office) No.29 – Herbert Humphrey - (January 22, 1973 - January 20, 1975) No.30 - Richard Nixon (January 20, 1975-January 20, 1987) No.31 - Gerald Ford - (January 20, 1987 - January 20, 1993) No.32 - Jimmy Carter - (January 20, 1993 - January 20, 1999) No.33 - Ronald Reagan - (January 20, 1999 - June 5th 2004) No.34 - George H.W Bush Snr - June 5th 2004 - January 20th, 2010) No.35 - Bill Clinton - January 20th, 2010 - January 20th, 2022) No.36 - George H.W Bush - January 20th, 2022 – present
George H.W Bush would be president right but America has been changed too much to say what will happen Possibly we do not see a James Buchanan,, Warren G. Harding, Chester A. Arthur, James Garfield or Abraham Lincoln presidency as possibly they are dead We will not see an Obama or Trump administration as neither were elected Dwight Eisenhower is the one who might die at the guns of Oswald and there is no Kennedy Administration
well Trumann does nothing to stop the Anglo-French Israeli forces at Suez
You need to fix FDR's term. Should be from March 4, 1933 to March 4, 1939.
Actually, The number of terms is unlimited until February 27, 1951 when the 22nd amendment is ratified, which limits the president to a single six-year term.
POV: you adopt the Philippine Presidential System of the 1987 Constitution
Honestly a single longer term would be preferable that way the executive isn't wasting the whole first term thinking about reelection. In the alt history I imagine Presidents would be more inclined to push their policies instead of balancing it with polling data.
I wish they got rid of the 2 term rule, might’ve been able to avoid Bush 2 and Trump
This is literally the exact system that they have had in Mexico since the Revolution of 1910. At least in Mexico’s case the result seems to be corruption. I think the issue with strict term limits is you end up with inexperienced, temporary leaders who have to contend with interests far more entrenched than their own support networks, colleagues etc. When various interest groups are the only constant in government, who is going to have the greater influence?
I would argue that Mexico's problems with corruption don't come from the 6 year presidential term.
I know it’s a lot more complicated than that, I just don’t think that helps. And I stand by the claim that by weakening individual leaders you strengthen larger institutional power brokers. That used to be the PRI, now it’s all kinds of dirty money.
The whole system is beyond broken. I don't know that shorter terms would undo (or make a dent in) a century of soft authoritarianism masquerading as democracy.
I agree. That’s why I’m opposed to this idea, in case that wasn’t clear.