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Controversies/Changes in U.S. Presidency and Presidential Elections

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    Presidential Election Changes and Controversies Over Time

  • Article 2 of U.S. Constitution

    Article 2 of U.S. Constitution
    Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution sets forth the requirements and duties of the Executive Branch/President.
  • Constitution Ratified

    U.S. Constitution is ratified
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    2 Term Precedent

    George Washington sets an "unwritten" 2 term precedent for future U.S. Presidents.
  • Jefferson vs. Adams

    Jefferson vs. Adams
    Incumbent candidate John Adams is beat by Thomas Jefferson. First time for incumbent to lose.
  • 12th Amendment

    12th Amendment
    Separate ballots are created for President and Vice President. Before this the candidate with the most votes won president and the runner up became vice president.
  • Lincoln wins with 40%

    Lincoln wins with 40%
    Abraham Lincoln wins election of 1860 with only 40% of the popular vote, but most electoral votes in the North. Causes uproar and 3 months later South Carolina votes to secede from the Union.
  • FDR wins 3rd term!

    FDR wins 3rd term!
    President Franklin D. Roosevelt wins his 3rd term as U.S. President. The only president to have served 3 terms.
  • FDR elected for 4th term.

    FDR elected for 4th term.
    Franklin D. Roosevelt elected for a record fourth term, but unfortunately dies the next year (1945) Only president to serve more than two full terms.
  • 22 Amendment

    22 Amendment
    The 22nd Amendment is passed to limit U.S.presidents to two, four year terms.
  • Truman takes the win.

    Truman takes the win.
    Harry Truman beats Dewey even though he trailed in the polls and was reported as "loser" in the papers at time of print.
  • LBJ takes over for JFK

    LBJ takes over for JFK
    Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson takes over as President for the remainder of Kennedy's term, followed by another term where he himself was elected.
  • 25th Amendment is passed

    25th Amendment is passed
    25th Amendment passes, gives better description of who takes over when President dies, is disabled, resigns, etc. With this amendment the Vice President officially takes over for the President.
  • Ford steps in for Nixon

    Ford steps in for Nixon
    Vice President Gerald Ford takes over for the remaining 29 months of President Richard Nixon's term after his resignation regarding the Watergate Scandal.
  • Gore vs Bush

    Gore vs Bush
    George W. Bush wins election by 30 states. First candidate in 112 years to win presidency without winning the popular vote. Winning announcement was very delayed due to voting/tabulating issues in the state of Florida.
  • First African American President

    First African American President
    Barack Hussein Obama elected as first ever African American President.
  • First female presidential nominee of a major political party

    First female presidential nominee of a major political party
    Hillary Clinton is the first woman to be chosen as a presidential nominee of a major political party.
  • Clinton vs. Trump

    Clinton vs. Trump
    Controversial campaign, accusations of foreign interference and leaks of private information released on the internet. Polls projected Clinton to win, though Trump ended up winning typically Democratic states. Trump won electoral vote, though Clinton won popular vote.
  • Trump Inaugurated as President

    Trump Inaugurated as President
    Trump is the 5th person in U.S. History to become president without ever having held political office.