Final answer:
The U.S. Constitution originally didn't limit presidential terms, which George Washington established a two-term tradition. The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, set a formal limit of two four-year terms. The presidential election involves an electoral college, where most states follow a winner-take-all approach for electoral votes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Presidential Term Limits in U.S. History
Originally, the U.S. Constitution did not place a cap on the number of terms a president could serve. It was the precedent set by the first president, George Washington, who chose to step down after two terms, that established an informal rule that presidents would serve for only two four-year terms. This practice was followed until Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), who broke the tradition by winning four presidential elections, serving an unprecedented 16 years.
Following FDR's death in 1945, political sentiments shifted, and the 22nd Amendment was ratified in 1951. This amendment formally limited the presidential term to two, four-year terms. Therefore, a president could serve eight years if elected twice, or exceptionally, a maximum of ten years if they were to take office in the middle of a term and then get elected for two more full terms.
The electoral process was also specified in the Constitution, where a president and vice president are chosen every four years by an electoral college, with states holding a winner-take-all system for electoral votes, except for Nebraska and Maine, which divide their votes proportionally.