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ImmigrationProf Blog
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Happy Presidents Day! What About the Natural Born Citizen Requirement for the American Presidency?

By immigrationprof

Obamabarack 220pxjohn_mccain_official_portrait_ Arnold_schwarzenegger_20040130 Presidents Day seems to be the appropriate day to ask whether the Article Two of the U.S. Constitution provides, which provides that “ No Person except a natural born Citizen . . . shall be eligible to the Office of President . . . . “, serves modern purposes or should be eliminated through constitutional amendment.

This provision has gotten a fair amount of airplay in recent years, with discussion of the ineligibility of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for the President as well as heated questions posed about whether President Obama and Senator John McCain are constitutionally eligible for the highest office in the land.

Given the many changes in the United States since 1789, include increasing global travel, growing recognition of dual nationality and citizenship, and the like, it seems appropriate to look hard at Article I’s citizenship requirement, which is not a requirement for any other constitutional office in the United States.

KJ