The 22nd Amendment was passed as a reaction to President Franklin D. Roosevelt being elected president four times.
Before this amendment, it was always customary for a president to serve two terms and then leave office. However, there was no law against running more than two times. With this in mind, Franklin D. Roosevelt continued to run for president even though he surpassed the two term norm established under Washington's presidency. Once FDR died in office after being elected for a fourth time, the law was passed in order to limit the amount of a time an individual can be president.
