Hey, Jane here. For today's episode, we're doing something a little different. We're going to be listening to our online video series, But Why, Bites. Every other week over on our YouTube channel, we answer one kid question in a short and sweet little video. You can find all of them at the But Why Kids channel on YouTube, and we have a link to this compilation of episodes in our show notes.

We're calling it a Big Bite.

But if you're more of a listening kid, this episode is for you.

Hope you enjoy it.

Why do people change president?

One of the big differences between the U.S. President and a King or Queen or Supreme Leader

is that the President doesn't stay in power as the leader of the country forever.

A President can only serve two four-year terms. That's it.

Well, technically the president can only be elected twice, but they could serve a few more years if they're appointed first.

Like if the president they're replacing has decided to step down or has died while in office.

But generally speaking, a president can only serve two terms.

That's actually only been a rule since 1951.

Before that, there was no official limit on how many times someone could be elected president.

But after the first U.S. President, George Washington, stepped down after two terms, it became kind of an unwritten rule. But then one guy named Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected four times in the 1930s and 40s,

and after that, an amendment was made to the Constitution, making that rule about only getting elected twice.

Now, the reason we have this whole president thing in the first place is because the U.S. was founded with the idea of democracy,

that people have a right to choose their leader, not be ruled by someone who they don't choose.

And if we elect someone new every four or eight years, the idea is no one can become president for life.

I don't know about you, but there are a lot of things I'd like better than a president for

life.

How about ice cream for life?

Or puppies for life.

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