The first President of America was George Washington. He served as the country’s first president from April 30, 1789, to March 4, 1797.
The process of getting selected as the President of the United States is outlined in the U.S. Constitution. Here’s an overview of the steps involved:
- Eligibility: To be eligible for the presidency, a candidate must be a natural-born U.S. citizen, at least 35 years old, and have been a resident of the United States for at least 14 years.
- Primaries and Caucuses: The presidential selection process starts with primaries and caucuses held in each state. During these events, registered voters from each political party participate in selecting their party’s nominee. The primary and caucus systems vary from state to state.
- National Party Conventions: After the primaries and caucuses, each political party holds a national convention to officially nominate their candidate for the presidency. Delegates from each state attend the convention, and the candidate who receives the majority of delegate votes becomes the party’s nominee.
- General Election: The presidential election is held on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. The major party nominees, along with any third-party candidates, compete for electoral votes from each state.
- Electoral College: The President of the United States is not directly elected by popular vote but by the Electoral College. Each state has a certain number of electoral votes based on its representation in Congress. A candidate needs to secure at least 270 out of 538 electoral votes to win the presidency.
- Inauguration: The newly elected President takes the oath of office on January 20th following the election year. The Inauguration Day marks the beginning of the President’s tenure.
Regarding the tenure of the President, they are limited to serving two terms in office, as outlined by the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Each term is four years. Therefore, a President can serve a maximum of eight years in office, either consecutively or non-consecutively. This amendment was ratified in 1951 after Franklin D. Roosevelt served four terms as President. Before the amendment, there was no formal limit on the number of terms a President could serve.