A 20 Year US Presidential Term

Rufus King, a signer of the United States Constitution and member of the U.S. Senate and 1816 Federalist Party presidential nominee, proposed a 20 year term for the U.S. President. That inspired me to to think about that as a point of diversion

Alternate US Presidents with 20 year terms

George Washington April 30, 1789 - December 14, 1799
Washington would have died in office and the presidency would have passed to John Adams.
John Adams December 14, 1799- March 4, 1809
He would be defeated in 1808 presidential race.
Thomas Jefferson March 4, 1809-July 4, 1826
With the death of Vice President George Clinton in 1812, the office would have remained vacant. Upon President Jefferson's death and as controlled by the Presidential Succession Act of 1792, the Presidency would have passed to Speaker of House of Representatives, John W.Taylor.
John W. Taylor July 4, 1826- March 4, 1829
Taylor pledged immediately upon becoming President that he would only serve out Jefferson's uncompleted presidential term.
Andrew Jackson March 4, 1829- June 8, 1845
Jackson died at the helm and ended one the longest presidential terms. His presidency was marked by the same hawkish tendencies Jackson had shown as a soldier.
John Calhoun June 8, 1845 - March 4, 1849
A curious combination with the "all Union" Jackson, Calhoun served out Jackson's term and retreated to South Carolina and died in 1850. President Calhoun became a hero to many secessionist politicians in the years ahead.
Lewis Cass March 4, 1849 - June 17, 1866
Cass was dedicated to a the concept of popular sovereignty where states could decided their own course on slavery. Fiercely committed to preserving the Union, he was not hesitant to use federal military power against Southern rebellions.
Jefferson Davis - June 17, 1866 - March 4, 1869
Serving out the remainder of Cass' presidential term. Davis, who threw his lot in the South, finished up his presidential term and immediately returned to Mississippi and threw his support behind the new Re-constituted States of America of Southern and border states and New York City.

So from where I sit I see the United States electing a strongly pro-Union to face down the revolting Re-constituted States of America (RSA). Who would be the US President after the 1868 election?
 
Medical knowledge at that time wasn’t what it is now. I don’t find it hard to imagine that Presidents would die halfway through their terms. That might actually be fairl common until the 20th Century.
But if Washington was still President, he would not have gone riding, in December 1799, and caught cold and died. He was healthy until the last month of his life, so living 10 years longer is definitely possible.
 
But if Washington was still President, he would not have gone riding, in December 1799, and caught cold and died. He was healthy until the last month of his life, so living 10 years longer is definitely possible.

Yeah, that’s true, but on other hand, it’s not that hard to imagine Washington drinking contaminated water and catching something from that. Don’t forget, that’s how Alexander the Great died.
 
I doubt that many would accept so long presidential term. It would mean that many proment politician wouldn't ever get office of POTUS. People didn't live so long and healthy as modern days. And it would help make someone too powerful. And someone bad president would maanage ruin everything if he not be impeached and removed. And impeachment is pretty difficult process.
 
This got me thinking - a suggestion of what I would have seen happening ...

Ulysees S. Grant March 4th 1869 - July 23rd 1885
Grant dies - but there hasn't been a VP since 1875, so the Presidency passes to the Speaker of the House

John Carlisle July 23rd 1885 - March 4th 1889
Served less than four years of Grant's term - considers running for office on his own ticket - looses against William McKinley.

William McKinley March 4th 1889 - September 14th 1901
Gets assassinated - and the office passes to his Vice President ...

Theodore Roosevelt September 1901 - January 6th 1919
Serves out the remainder of McKinley's term - runs for office on his own ticket, wins but dies in 1919 and with no standing Vice President - it's back to the Speaker of the House ...

Champ Clark January 6th 1919 - March 2nd 1921 ...
Dies in office - and with no Vice President in office (they really need to sort this out) - we're back to the Speaker of the House again ...

Frederick Gillett
March 2nd 1921 - March 4th 1929
Serves out the remainder of Roosevelt/Clark's term in office.

Frank Lowden March 4th 1929 - March 4th 1949
Serves, with Vice President Irvine Lenroot, for a full term - the first President to have done so.

Dwight Eisenhower March 4th 1949 - March 4th 1969
He doesn't refuse candidacy when it's offered to him by the National Convention and he becomes the second President to serve out a full term - but with a Vice President for only seven years. VP Alben Barkley dies in 1956. Eisenhower dies less than a month after leaving office.

Hubert Humphrey March 4th 1969 - January 13th 1978
Dies just under halfway through his term ...

Edmund Muskie January 13th 1978 - March 4th 1989
Serves out the remainder of Humphrey's term.

Bob Dole March 4th 1989 - March 4th 2009
The smear campaign launched by the Bush campaign backfires - and Dole becomes President, serves out his full term.

Nancy Pelosi March 4th 2009 - Present
Given that Bill Clinton doesn't become President, Hillary is never placed into the proximity of becoming a Presidential candidate and therefore the first major female candidate to run for President isn't smeared with her background. Nancy Pelosi runs against Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination - and narrowly wins.
 
The Constitution as drafted had a hard time getting ratified. One as obviously "monarchical" as this would be dead on arrival. In fact, it's not even clear that King took it seriously:

"On one occasion, after a seven-year term had been voted down, King went so far as to suggest a twenty-year term, calling this lengthy period “the medium life of princes.” Madison thought King might possibly have been ridiculing previous motions to make the executive ineligible for re-election..." https://books.google.com/books?id=k6TqCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA114
 

PhilippeO

Banned
with POD that early, neither Andrew Jackson or Nancy Pelosi will be born.

and 20-year term would change politics Massively, my guess is Presidency become Constitutional elected Monarch, with speaker of House take over many of its duties. Presidential signature will be mandatory and cabinet based on speaker advice.
 
with POD that early, neither Andrew Jackson or Nancy Pelosi will be born.

and 20-year term would change politics Massively, my guess is Presidency become Constitutional elected Monarch, with speaker of House take over many of its duties. Presidential signature will be mandatory and cabinet based on speaker advice.
This.
It does make me ponder how long a US presidential term can be before the office loses Head of Government powers while retaining Head of State ones.
 

SsgtC

Banned
This.
It does make me ponder how long a US presidential term can be before the office loses Head of Government powers while retaining Head of State ones.
Well, FDR managed to retain those powers despite being elected 5 times. Assuming he had lived through at 5 terms, that would put him at the 20 year mark. Now granted, there's a lot of shorter terms making up the whole, so that influences things. My own personal opinion is anything over 10 years and you're electing a Head if State with the Speaker of the House or Senate Majority Leader having power as Head of Government.
 
Well, FDR managed to retain those powers despite being elected 5 times. Assuming he had lived through at 5 terms, that would put him at the 20 year mark. Now granted, there's a lot of shorter terms making up the whole, so that influences things. My own personal opinion is anything over 10 years and you're electing a Head if State with the Speaker of the House or Senate Majority Leader having power as Head of Government.

4 times, not 5.
 
Rufus King, a signer of the United States Constitution and member of the U.S. Senate and 1816 Federalist Party presidential nominee, proposed a 20 year term for the U.S. President. That inspired me to to think about that as a point of diversion

Alternate US Presidents with 20 year terms

George Washington April 30, 1789 - December 14, 1799
Washington would have died in office and the presidency would have passed to John Adams.
John Adams December 14, 1799- March 4, 1809
He would be defeated in 1808 presidential race.
Thomas Jefferson March 4, 1809-July 4, 1826
With the death of Vice President George Clinton in 1812, the office would have remained vacant. Upon President Jefferson's death and as controlled by the Presidential Succession Act of 1792, the Presidency would have passed to Speaker of House of Representatives, John W.Taylor.
John W. Taylor July 4, 1826- March 4, 1829
Taylor pledged immediately upon becoming President that he would only serve out Jefferson's uncompleted presidential term.
Andrew Jackson March 4, 1829- June 8, 1845
Jackson died at the helm and ended one the longest presidential terms. His presidency was marked by the same hawkish tendencies Jackson had shown as a soldier.
John Calhoun June 8, 1845 - March 4, 1849
A curious combination with the "all Union" Jackson, Calhoun served out Jackson's term and retreated to South Carolina and died in 1850. President Calhoun became a hero to many secessionist politicians in the years ahead.
Lewis Cass March 4, 1849 - June 17, 1866
Cass was dedicated to a the concept of popular sovereignty where states could decided their own course on slavery. Fiercely committed to preserving the Union, he was not hesitant to use federal military power against Southern rebellions.
Jefferson Davis - June 17, 1866 - March 4, 1869
Serving out the remainder of Cass' presidential term. Davis, who threw his lot in the South, finished up his presidential term and immediately returned to Mississippi and threw his support behind the new Re-constituted States of America of Southern and border states and New York City.

So from where I sit I see the United States electing a strongly pro-Union to face down the revolting Re-constituted States of America (RSA). Who would be the US President after the 1868 election?


The OTL Presidential Succession Act of 1792 allows for the President Pro Tempore, not the Speaker, to be next in line. So when Jefferson dies it would be Nathaniel Macon until 1829. This would not make too much of a difference, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
 
But if Washington was still President, he would not have gone riding, in December 1799, and caught cold and died. He was healthy until the last month of his life, so living 10 years longer is definitely possible.

The specific incident which killed him OTL won't happen, but given sanitation back then, it's not entirely out of the world to just off a guy when convenient to the author because clean water is underrated (altohugh becoming more highly rated with the rise of the Misma theorey)
 
Well, FDR managed to retain those powers despite being elected 5 times. Assuming he had lived through at 5 terms, that would put him at the 20 year mark. Now granted, there's a lot of shorter terms making up the whole, so that influences things. My own personal opinion is anything over 10 years and you're electing a Head if State with the Speaker of the House or Senate Majority Leader having power as Head of Government.
Interesting but still individual terms and elections he could have lost!
I'm wondering about the impact of an initial longer term and how long that can be and what governing powers get removed the longer it is.
 
I think once you get to the pointment that it takes nearly 200 years for a President to last the whole run would cause you to question such a lengthy term
 

SsgtC

Banned
I think once you get to the pointment that it takes nearly 200 years for a President to last the whole run would cause you to question such a lengthy term
This is a good point. Also, I think if the standard term in office is 20 years, that would strongly discourage electing anyone over the age of 40-50 (skewing younger at the start, older in the present as average lifespan lengthens).
 
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