A U.S. presidential term is four years long, as specified in Article II, Section 1, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution
. The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, limits presidents to being elected to no more than two terms, meaning a maximum of eight years in office under normal circumstances
. However, if a vice president or another successor assumes the presidency and serves two years or less of the previous president's term, that person can still be elected for two full four-year terms, potentially serving nearly ten years in total
. In summary:
- One presidential term = 4 years
- Maximum elected terms = 2 (total 8 years)
- Possible maximum service if succeeding mid-term = up to about 10 years
This system was established to prevent any one individual from holding too much power for an extended period, a response to Franklin D. Roosevelt's four- term presidency
