In Germany, any citizen over 40 is eligible to be elected president. France's constitution doesn't specify that the president be born in the country. "Any citizen over 50 years" can be president of Italy.

Many Latin American countries -- like their neighbor to the north -- do specify that the president be native-born. Mexico's president, for instance, has to be a citizen by birth with at least one Mexican parent and 12 years' residency. Brazil's president must also be born in the country.

Peru has even had its own birther controversy, thanks to media reports that former president Alberto Fujimori was born in Japan. The president produced his Peruvian birth certificate for analysis in 1997, but some doubts persist.

Iran's president not only has to be of "Iranian origin," he must exhibit "trustworthiness and piety." Presumably, being a secret Christian would be a disqualification from that office.

It's theoretically possible for someone who wasn't born in Britain, or even a citizen, to be elected prime minister. The prime minister is a member of a parliament who is chosen by members of his or her party. According to British law, an MP must be "18 years of age, and a British citizen, or citizen of a Commonwealth country or the Republic of Ireland." It would probably be pretty tough for someone from Ireland or the Bahamas to get the job, but there's nothing legally stopping them. To date, only one British prime minister -- Bonar Law, originally of New Brunswick -- has been born outside the British Isles.

In any event, if Obama decides he's sick of being president of a country where 20 percent of the people don't believe he's a citizen, and he's willing to go through the trouble of becoming a citizen and resident somewhere else, he does have a few options.

Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

 SUBJECTS:
 

Joshua E. Keating is an associate editor at Foreign Policy.

GROTIUS

1:18 AM ET

April 28, 2011

Head of State issue: the Queen

Just a small point of correction. Your article suggests that the Queen (formally of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other realms and territories) is the head of state of all British Commonwealth Countries. First of all, it is no longer the 'British Commonwealth' but merely the Commonwealth - Britain no longer 'owns' it and has very willingly recognised that all member states have equality of status. Second, the Queen is not head of state of all the Commonwealth countries, of which there are currently 53, but of only 16, including the UK itself. All of the other members are republics with their own presidents. Of course, all the monarchies within the Commonwealth who retain the Queen as head of state, actually these days have Governors General who are from the state concerned and who are effectively de-facto presidents.....although representational/ceremonial and not endowed constitutionally with executive powers like the President of the US. Just thought I would clarify. Incidentally, when the Queen is acting in her capacity as head of state of one of the other 15 states of which she is monarch, she is emphatically not advised by the British Prime Minister but by the equivalent in that state.

 

LORCAN

12:18 PM ET

April 28, 2011

The Australian Constitution

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA CONSTITUTION ACT - SECT 61

Executive power
The executive power of the Commonwealth is vested in the Queen and is exercisable by the Governor?General as the Queen's representative, and extends to the execution and maintenance of this Constitution, and of the laws of the Commonwealth.

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA CONSTITUTION ACT - SECT 62

Federal Executive Council
There shall be a Federal Executive Council to advise the Governor?General in the government of the Commonwealth, and the members of the Council shall be chosen and summoned by the Governor?General and sworn as Executive Councillors, and shall hold office during his pleasure.

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA CONSTITUTION ACT - SECT 63

Provisions referring to Governor-General
The provisions of this Constitution referring to the Governor?General in Council shall be construed as referring to the Governor?General acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council.

The Governor General as the Queens represenative does have executive powers. All bills must be signed by the GG inorder to become law. In Western Australia we have had a Governor that would not give royal assent to a bill..I beleive the Governor General has the same power. However he/she cannot initiate bills in parliament.

 

CYBERFOOL

10:16 AM ET

April 29, 2011

Governors General?

Grotius said:

"Of course, all the monarchies within the Commonwealth who retain the Queen as head of state, actually these days have Governors General who are from the state concerned and who are effectively de-facto presidents....."

So who is the Governor General of England or the UK?

 

JKOLAK

7:43 AM ET

April 28, 2011

No, Obama is definitely

No, Obama is definitely anti-American. He hates America and is doing everything he can to take us down, take down our allies, and support our enemies.

And by the way, even non-partisan Photoshop pros are all talking about the forged birth certificate Obama released.

Just two of many examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g30VCl_cgk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eOfYwYyS_c

 

CHARLES-1974

10:54 AM ET

April 28, 2011

President Obama Is An American

It is really sad that racist can't leave this issue and move on.

 

LITTLEMANTATE

8:49 AM ET

April 28, 2011

What a mishmash of countries

You've conflated nations with patrilineal systems of citizenship, liberal democracies, and ethnically based nationalities without providing context.

Of course a state like Israel, until recently, will have a majority of its politicians born abroad. You failed to mention that in many of the states espousing patrilineal based citizenship, the mother's side counts for naught.

 

MAXDADDY

10:03 AM ET

April 28, 2011

In Obama/Another Country, re the Commonwealth

Commenter #1 has it mainly right--Queen Elizabeth II is only the head of state of 16 Commonwealth countries. Unless things change in the future, Elizabeth's successor will likewise be the head of state of these sixteen countries. But the remaining Commonwealth countries are not all republics. Five--Brunei, Lesotho, Swaziland, Malaysia, and Tonga--are monarchies, have their own sovereigns as respective heads of state, and have their own rules of succession. The Queen is the current head of the Commonwealth, a purely honorific role. But is it a purely personal role. Despite the words "Head of the Commonwealth" in her royal style, her successor as the British sovereign will not automatically become head of the Commonwealth.

 

CONCHES

12:25 PM ET

April 28, 2011

Why?

An article on which countries allow non-citizens to be leaders is potentially interesting. An article suggesting that our president Barrack Obama would be the leader of another country is ridiculous.

 

CYBERFOOL

10:19 AM ET

April 29, 2011

Just hypothetical

Macarthur was commanding general of the Philippines.

 

ALEXLESLEY

12:36 PM ET

April 28, 2011

Obama or Schwarzenegger

I would definetely vote for a non-american president at this time. For examle why Schwarzenegger cannot be elected as a president? Is it really matter that he is born in Austria? He has the spirit, he has the american winning desire to change things! Obama is great - no doubt, but at the end does he have an alternative? Alex

 

ADAM ONGE

4:08 PM ET

April 28, 2011

not in Burma

According to the present Burmese Constitution, even Aung San Suu Kyi cannot become the President of Burma, let alone Obama (Omyanmar?).

 

ELI

12:34 AM ET

April 29, 2011

I have agreed what said

I have agreed what said above, "I would definetely vote for a non-american president at this time. For examle why Schwarzenegger cannot be elected as a president? Is it really matter that he is born in Austria? He has the spirit, he has the american winning desire to change things! Obama is great - no doubt, but at the end does he have an alternative?" Search for global newsThat's interesting.

 

CYBERFOOL

10:29 AM ET

April 29, 2011

citizenship rules - US Constitution

I agree the Constitution is flawed in that regard. I'm NOT a big political fan of Schwarzenegger. But there are others that don't meet the "natural-born" requirement that would be suitable & otherwise qualified for Pres - Kissinger (again, not a fan), Gov. Grandholm.

It would require a Constitutional Amendment and it should require 2 things, 1) Long term residency in the US after naturalization - say at least 20 yrs. and 2) Renounciation of citizenship in any other country. This second requirement is more than is required currently. Currently a person could have dual citizenship & be President. That is wrong.

 

OK RIBEIRO

12:46 PM ET

May 27, 2011

Of course He is an American

The Governor General as the Queens represenative does have executive powers. All bills must be signed by the GG inorder to become law. In Western Australia we have had a Governor that would not give royal assent to a bill..I beleive the Governor General has the same power. However he/she cannot initiate bills in parliament. learn piano Of course a state like Israel, until recently, will have a majority of its politicians born abroad. You failed to mention that in many of the states espousing patrilineal based citizenship, the mother's side counts for naught.

 

DANNCLI379

12:50 PM ET

May 27, 2011

Obama's Definitely American, But Could He Become President of So

You've conflated nations with patrilineal systems of citizenship, liberal democracies, and ethnically based nationalities without providing context. Of course a state like Israel, until recently, will have a majority of its politicians born abroad. You failed to mention that in many of the states espousing patrilineal based citizenship, the mother's side counts for naught. "On the other hand, if Obama decided he wanted to be president of his boyhood home, Indonesia, he'd be out of luck. According to article six of the constitution, the president must be a "native-born Indonesian diy solar panels. "" I would definetely vote for a non-american president at this time. For examle why Schwarzenegger cannot be elected as a president? Is it really matter that he is born in Austria? He has the spirit, he has the american winning desire to change things! Obama is great - no doubt, but at the end does he have an alternative? Alex. For examle why Schwarzenegger cannot be elected as a president? Is it really matter that he is born in Austria? He has the spirit, he has the american winning desire to change things! Obama is great - no doubt, but at the end does he have an alternative?