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If a child is born in another country and raised in America, can they qualify to run for presidency?
So if two American parents went on a trip to Spain or something and had their kid while they were there, then took their kid with them back to America, would that kid be able to run for president given that they meet all the other requirements? I've been told that you can't if you weren't born specifically in the United States, and that always confused me.
7 Answers
- Mr. SmartypantsLv 72 years ago
The Constitution specifies that only a 'natural born citizen' may be president. But it doesn't explain what that term means.
Today we figure it means a citizen at birth, a person who doesn't have to be 'naturalized'. This includes anyone born in the US, and also anyone born elsewhere whose parents were American (like John McCain who was born in the Panama Canal Zone while his father was serving in the military there.)
So being born outside the US is not a deal-breaker, if the kid's parents are American. He is still a citizen from birth.
- Anonymous2 years ago
No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States.
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- Anonymous2 years ago
They cannot, an opposite example would be Steven crowder born in America, grew up in Canada but he is now an American citizen and will be allowed to run. The rules are very clear and probably should have some exceptions but as of now you have to be born in America
- Anonymous2 years ago
Well... the president must be a natural born citizen, but I believe that a child born abroad to American parents may acquire U.S. citizenship at birth if certain statutory requirements are met
- Anonymous2 years ago
If one or both of their parents were Americans, then yes
This is why the whole birther conspiracy was basically pointless