Who Can Run for Office?

QUIZ

So you want to run for president! That’s a great goal. But it doesn’t matter how smart you are. You’re going to have to wait until you’re a little older. That’s because the Constitution lists certain rules about who can run for the highest offices in our federal government.

How much do you know about those rules? Test yourself by answering these questions.

So you want to run for president! We love your ambition—but no matter how smart you are, you’re going to have to wait until you’re a little older. That’s because candidates have to meet certain constitutional requirements—including age minimums—before they can launch a campaign to become the president or a member of Congress.

How much do you know about those requirements? Test yourself by answering the following questions.

How old do you have to be to be U.S. president?

What is the minimum age you have to be to serve as U.S. president?

A. 25

B. 30

C. 35

D. 40

You must be at least 35 years old to be U.S. president. So far, Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest president ever. He was 42 when he took office in 1901.

A. 25

B. 30

C. 35

D. 40

You must be at least 35 years old to serve as U.S. president. Theodore Roosevelt, who was 42 when he took office in 1901, still holds the record for youngest commander in chief.

President Barack Obama was elected in 2008 and 2012. Can he run for president again?

A. yes

B. no

No, Barack Obama can’t run again. The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution limits the president to two terms.

A. yes

B. no

No, President Obama can’t run again. The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution limits a person to two elected terms as president.

It wasn’t always that way, though. In the midst of the Great Depression and World War II, Franklin D. Roosevelt argued that the country would benefit from stable leadership during the chaos—and voters agreed. He was elected to a third term in 1940 and a fourth in 1944. However, U.S. lawmakers eventually pushed back, saying that term limits were needed to help prevent the president from abusing power. The 22nd Amendment was ratified in 1951.

Which of the following is NOT a requirement for serving in the House of Representatives?

A. being at least 25 years old

B. not having been in the House of Representatives before

C. having been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years

D. living in the state from which you wish to be elected

To serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, a person must be:

At least 25 years old
A U.S. citizen for at least seven years
Living in the state from which he or she wishes to be elected

However, there is no rule saying representatives can’t run again once they’ve been elected. There is also no limit on how many terms they can serve. For example, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is in her 17th two-year term in Congress.

A. being at least 25 years old

B. not having been elected to the House of Representatives before

C. having been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years

D. living in the state from which you wish to be elected

A U.S. representative must be at least 25 years old, have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and live in the state from which he or she wishes to be elected—but there’s no limit to how many times the representative can be re-elected to a two-year term. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, for example, is in her 17th term in Congress.

Basketball star Stephen Curry is 32, was born in Ohio, and now lives in California. Can he run for the U.S. Senate in Ohio?

Basketball star Stephen Curry, 32, was born in Ohio and now lives in California. That makes him eligible to become _________.

A. yes

B. no

To serve in the U.S. Senate, you must be:

At least 30 years old
A U.S. citizen for at least nine years
Living in the state from which you wish to be elected

Curry can’t run for the U.S. Senate in Ohio because he doesn’t live there anymore.

A. a representative from Ohio.

B. a senator from California.

C. U.S. president.

D. none of the above.

You can serve in the U.S. Senate if you’re at least 30 years old, have been a U.S. citizen for at least nine years, and live in the state from which you wish to be elected. Curry meets all of those requirements. He can’t be a representative from Ohio, however, because he no longer lives there. And at age 32, he’s not old enough to be president.

What’s the oldest age you can be and still run for president?

What’s the oldest age you can be and still run for office?

A. 65

B. 75

C. 100

D. none of the above

There are no limits on how old the president can be. At age 70, Donald Trump was the oldest president to take office for the first time when he was sworn in on January 20, 2017. If Joe Biden wins the 2020 election, he’ll be 78 when he starts his new job—setting a new record.

A. 65

B. 75

C. 100

D. none of the above

Although there is an age minimum, there are no limits on how old a presidential candidate can be. At age 70, Donald Trump was the oldest president to take office for the first time when he was inaugurated in 2017. But if Joe Biden were to win the 2020 election, he’d be 78 by the time he was sworn in, setting a new record.

Beyoncé is 38 years old, was born in Texas, and lives in California. She has also lived in the United States her whole life. Could she run for president?

Beyoncé is 38 years old, was born in Texas, lives in California, and has been a resident of the United States her whole life. Could she run for president?

A. yes

B. no

Beyoncé meets all the requirements to be president: She’s older than 35, was born in the U.S., and has lived in the country for at least 14 years.

A. yes

B. no

Beyoncé meets all of the requirements to be president: She’s 35 or older, was born in the U.S., and has lived in the country for at least 14 years. Queen Bey 2024?

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