Franklin D. Roosevelt secured an unprecedented third presidential term by defeating Wendell Willkie in the election of that year. Until that date, no U.S. president had ever sought or achieved a third term. The two-term tradition had been informally established since George Washington declined a third term, and it held firm for more than a century. Roosevelt’s decision to run again broke this long-standing precedent and thereby changed expectations for presidential tenure.
Roosevelt’s win in 1940 carried significant historical weight. Domestically, his earlier terms had been defined by the Great Depression and the launch of the New Deal programs. The electorate had granted him broad mandates in 1932 and 1936, and by 1940 he remained a dominant figure in American politics. Internationally, war had erupted in Europe in 1939 and in 1940 the global conflict intensified. The United States faced mounting pressures regarding its role in the world. Roosevelt’s decision to stand for a third term reflected an era in which continuity of leadership came to be seen by many as crucial.
The 1940 campaign itself placed the third-term question at its core. Critics warned that a third term might undermine American democratic traditions and evoke comparisons to dictatorial rule. Roosevelt and his allies, however, argued that the world situation demanded experienced leadership and that his administration offered both experience and stability. Their message resonated with an electorate anxious about both economic recovery and external threats. Roosevelt’s victory thus stood not merely as a win for one man, but as a popular affirmation of breaking a tradition in favor of perceived national security and leadership continuity.
Beyond the immediate victory, the third-term milestone had lasting constitutional and political consequences. Because Roosevelt would go on to win a fourth term in 1944 and die in office in 1945, Congress moved to formalize a limit on presidential terms. The Twenty-Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1951, enshrined in law what had previously been an informal tradition: that no person shall be elected president more than twice. In that way, the 1940 election served as the hinge point between unwritten tradition and formal rule.
In addition to its constitutional impact, the election underscored the changing nature of American leadership in the mid-20th century. The presidency was evolving from a role focused primarily on domestic governance to one demanding global engagement. Roosevelt’s third term overlapped with direct U.S. involvement in the Second World War after 1941, positioning the United States as a principal actor on the world stage. The choice of the voters in 1940 to renew Roosevelt’s tenure thus aligned with broader shifts in U.S. policy: away from isolationism and toward international leadership.
Moreover, the election reflected the breadth of Roosevelt’s political coalition and the durability of the New Deal Democratic majority. His administration’s earlier achievements in economic relief, employment programs, and social welfare continued to influence the political landscape. Voters recognized continuity in those policies, even as the international environment demanded adaptation. The 1940 result reinforced the dominance of the Democratic Party, which held both the presidency and Congress in the 77th United States Congress, thereby enabling substantive wartime legislation and executive action. Finally, the 1940 election stands as a vivid reminder that American democracy responded to extraordinary junctures by allowing departures from precedent in order to meet exigent challenges. The willingness of the electorate to grant a third term underscored an openness to institutional flexibility when national security and global stakes loomed large.
In summary, Roosevelt’s third-term election on November 5 1940 signified far more than an individual electoral triumph. It marked a decisive shift in presidential norms, precipitated constitutional change, reflected the transition of the United States toward international power status, and influenced the trajectory of domestic political coalitions. The event occupies a foundational place in 20th-century American political history because it bridged the familiar traditions of the past with the expanded responsibilities of the modern presidency.
References / More Knowledge:
History.com Editors. “FDR Re-Elected for a Third Term.” History. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/november-5/fdr-re-elected-president
National Constitution Center. “FDR’s Third-Term Election And The 22nd Amendment.” https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/fdrs-third-term-decision-and-the-22nd-amendment
Arnold & Porter. “Influence Of The Third-Term Issue: The Roosevelt And Willkie Campaigns.” https://www.arnoldporter.com/en/perspectives/publications/2008/04/influence-of-the-thirdterm-issue-the-roosevelt-a
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Encyclopaedia Britannica. “United States Presidential Election Of 1940.” https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1940
FDR Library & Museum. “Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Presidency.” https://www.fdrlibrary.org/fdr-presidency
The National WWII Museum. “Electing Roosevelt: 1940 And 1944.” https://www.nationalww2museum.org/about-us/notes-museum/electing-roosevelt-1940-and-1944