On February 27th, 1951, the 22nd amendment was ratified which made permanent a tradition that has profound influence on the philosophy of government in the United States of America. This amendment may not be the most well known amendment but its place in the fabric of American history cannot be overstated. That is because the 22nd Amendment mandated that...
No someone shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no someone who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other someone was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.
The limitation of service as President of the United States to two terms was one that up until the 22nd amendment was more a matter of custom than law. It began when George Washington refused to run for a third term. But by development the limitation of power in the presidency in the 22nd amendment, the American habitancy made a bold statement about how their government would be run.
One of the most unique aspects to how the United States of America organized its government was the view of habitancy rulers. This view was born in the very halls and pubs where the founding fathers gathered to discuss this new country that was just getting started. By reducing the idea of a "career politician", especially at the presidential level, the 22nd amendment dealt a deadly blow to the view that America would ever be ruled by a king or a "president for life."
This was clearly a reaction by America to the abuses that had witnessed by the pilgrims and immigrants that make up this great country in their homelands. They reacted strongly and negatively to the deification of kings and the virtually unlimited powers that too many times systems of royalty tended to give to their leadership. This was one of the central themes that caused so many to flee Europe, Central Asia and other parts of the world to seek a land where it was the habitancy who were the town of the governments will, not the arbitrary ideas of a king who was cut off from the real needs of the habitancy he served.
The way America set up its presidency was in every way an effort to "fix" the flaws and abuses of the European models and refocus the town of power in government on the electorate rather than on the elected. an additional one aspect of the American federal principles that was put in place deliberately to limit the ability of those in power to abuse that power is the principles of checks and balances.
This principles assures that none of the branches of government, The Congress, the Presidency or the consummate Court could dominate the other or take perfect power and rule without challenge. By insuring that all in power had to retort to the opposing party and be prepared to retort to the American habitancy for what they did and even said, this completely eliminated that chances that one part of the government would stage a "coup" over the other.
Accountability is a word that is not very provocative but it is the view that has kept the American principles of government salutary and in service to its habitancy rather than putting them in service for over 200 years.
In addition to these some extremely innovative methods the founding fathers gave to this young country to eliminate the abuses of past governmental systems, they also put a principles in place that assured the orderly transition of power. The principles of elections every two years stopped two evils, the occurrence of a politician who served for life without responsibility and a principles wherein the only way to loose your job in government was by violent overthrow.
As a ensue the American system, albeit competitive and argumentative, has been and continues to be one of the most peaceful and orderly systems of federal supervision in the world and assuredly in the history of the world.
