(Episode 40) Butterfly Dominoes: The 20th, 22nd, 23rd, and 25th Amendments
You ready to talk POTUS, Listeners? Because we are.
In this episode, we cover four different Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. What they all have in common is that they deal with the office of the Presidency.
The 20th Amendment deals with peaceful succession and transfer of power after elections. Specifically, it sets when the various terms begin, and what happens if the President (or Vice President) dies before the term starts. It also addresses the "lame duck" period - i.e., the time after the election has happened, but before the new term has started, when the "old" (sometimes reelected; sometimes voted out) Congress is still meeting. It was a pretty straightforward change at the time; actually, no amendment was ratified more quickly.
The 22nd Amendment officially sets a 2-term limit for the President. Washington set the tradition early on that Presidents would only seek and serve two terms of office. But World War II and the nation's desire for stability…
In this episode, we cover four different Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. What they all have in common is that they deal with the office of the Presidency.
The 20th Amendment deals with peaceful succession and transfer of power after elections. Specifically, it sets when the various terms begin, and what happens if the President (or Vice President) dies before the term starts. It also addresses the "lame duck" period - i.e., the time after the election has happened, but before the new term has started, when the "old" (sometimes reelected; sometimes voted out) Congress is still meeting. It was a pretty straightforward change at the time; actually, no amendment was ratified more quickly.
The 22nd Amendment officially sets a 2-term limit for the President. Washington set the tradition early on that Presidents would only seek and serve two terms of office. But World War II and the nation's desire for stability…