Foreigners may have dreams of a successful life in the UnitedStates, but the dream of becoming president may never happen.
The United States Constitution currently requires a person to bea natural born citizen to be eligible for the office ofpresident.
According to the Associated Press, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, hasproposed a bill which would allow a person who has been a U.S.citizen for 20 years to be eligible for presidency.
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., has proposed a similar bill,but requires a person to be a citizen for 35 years.
Robert Hogan, assistant professor of political science, said itis possible for one of the bills to be passed, but it would requirea constitutional amendment, which is not easy.
There have been only 27 amendments to the constitution since itcame into existence, Hogan said. It is very difficult to amend theconstitution because it requires a two-thirds vote of both housesand three-fourths of the legislature vote to approve it, hesaid.
Hogan said since the United States cherishes and values equalityand is a nation of immigrants, it will be difficult for people tovote against it.
Nicole Olivier, a mass communication sophomore, said the onlyway a person should be allowed to become president of a country isif they are born and raised in that country.
“The pope should be Catholic, so the president should beAmerican,” Olivier said.
Brad Baudot, a sociology and Spanish sophomore, said it is finethat the United States does not allow foreigners to becomepresident because it is an American citizen’s birthright.
Baudot said it may not be safe for a foreigner to be presidentbecause it could pose a threat of corruption with foreignaffairs.
He said immigrants get enough privileges since they are allowedUnited States citizenship and have the chance to be governors orsenators.
Some students do not think preventing foreigners from becomingpresident is fair.
Valerie Menter, a mathematics sophomore, said there should besome sort of committee that looks at a person’s background todecide if they are worthy of ruling the country.
Menter said if a person was born somewhere such as Canada, itreally is not fair to deprive them of the right to be presidentbecause it is so close to the United States.
Claire Talbot, an elementary education sophomore, said shethinks that after 35 years of living in the United States, a personshould be allowed to be president.
“By that time they are a citizen at heart, and as long as theyknow the American ways they should be allowed to rule our country,”Talbot said.
Kiran Patel, a biological sciences sophomore, was born inEngland, but has lived in the United States for 10 years.
“If you were raised here practically your whole life, who arepeople to say you won’t make a good president?” Patel said. “Thiscountry is supposed to be about equality.”