What is the citizenship requirement to be elected President?

The requirement to be elected President of the United States is that one must be a natural born citizen. This means that the individual must either be born on U.S. soil or born to U.S. citizen parents, irrespective of where the birth takes place. This criterion ensures that the President has a strong allegiance to the United States from birth. The framers of the Constitution included this requirement to safeguard the office from foreign influence and ensure that the President would have an inherent connection and commitment to the country.

The other options presented do not reflect the correct constitutional requirement. Being a U.S. citizen for a certain number of years does not satisfy the natural born aspect needed to hold the presidency. Citizenship by descent could apply to many citizens but does not specifically fulfill the condition of being a natural born citizen. Lastly, residency requirements do not apply to the presidency, as the Constitution emphasizes the necessity of being a natural born citizen without stipulating a period of residency.