"Civil War" ​​A story of resistance against out-of-control power

What is the 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution that limits the term of office of the president?

The first point, "the president is serving a third term," is a very important factor in considering the civil war in this film. The "western powers" of California and Texas are cornering the president, but it is politically almost impossible for California, which is originally liberal and has a strong Democratic Party color, and Texas, which is conservative and has a strong Republican support, to join forces.

On the other hand, there was a need for the two to join forces, even if it meant overcoming the barriers of political beliefs and values. And if there is something they are willing to join hands to protect, it is probably the "Constitution of the United States." Because the Constitution, as the supreme law of the country, has the power to stop the runaway power of the president and the state.

The 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution, which limits the term of office of an American president to two terms, was passed by Congress in 1947 after World War II. Originally, there was no term limit in the United States Constitution, but the first president, George Washington, refused to run for a third term, and so the "presidential term limit is two terms" became an unwritten convention.

"Civil War" © 2023 Miller Avenue Rights LLC; IPR.VC Fund II KY. All Rights Reserved.

Why can't a president serve more than two terms? One reason is to prevent the concentration of power in one person, which could lead to the birth of a dictator, in accordance with the principles of democracy and constitutionalism. Another reason is that long-term power increases the likelihood of corruption. It has nothing to do with leadership or integrity. The power of a nation is entrusted to it by the people, not privately owned by an individual. Maintaining a system in which the top leadership is constantly changing is, along with the separation of powers, which keeps each party in check, a fundamental and essential part of a democratic nation.

However, when World War II broke out, President Franklin Roosevelt, believing that strong leadership was needed in times of war, was elected for an unprecedented fourth term and served for more than 12 years until his death from a cerebral hemorrhage. Setting aside the evaluation of the Roosevelt administration, the words "wartime" and "emergency" are convenient for those in power and tend to get out of hand. After the war, the "22nd Amendment" was enacted to clarify the term of office of the president.

In other words, the president in "Civil War" is in his third term because he has distorted the Constitution and taken the path of dictatorship. It is only natural to think that the Western powers would consider this a coup by the president himself, and start a war against the government, because the country is crumbling from the ground up. The "last day of America" in the Japanese title does not refer to the fall of Washington DC in the film, but has already come long before the film begins.

Repeating history and the current crisis