We must consider precedents to the term "natural born" only in the context of qualification for President, or similar high, powerful position. There it must be taken in a stricter sense. Why? Because for the Presidency positions the Founders clearly wanted stronger strictures than for regular citizenship. I'm sorry but I can't agree with that. To require one legal definition of 'natural born' for candidates for president and a second legal definition of 'natural born' for everyone else creates a two-tiered legal structure with one set of rules for some people and a different set for everyone else. I don't see how that can be possible. 'Natural born' has a single meaning and a single definition. It means the same regardless of who it is applied to. And the definition has been established by law, by Constitution, and by Supreme Court decisions.
Laws are passed all the times which re-define common terms
for the purpose of a narrower or variant meaning within the body of a section or a subsection. See for example "child". In modern legislation it is usual to preface such a section of law with the definition of terms within it. The key phrase to look for is "
for the purpose of".
Some random examples:
- "For the purposes of student policy a 'domestic student' means a 'domestic student' as defined in Section 2 of the Education Act 1989. The Ministry of Education holds a complete list of who is considered to be a domestic student for the purpose of fee payment and enrolment." -- http://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/11693.htm
- "For purposes of this policy, a child is an individual under the age of 21 years." -- http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html
- 'For the purpose of this procedure Child is taken to be 0-15 years Young person is taken to be 16-17 years Responsible adult is taken to be an accompanying adult aged over 18 years" -- http://www.westcoastdhb.org.nz/publications/policies_n_procedures/policies_n_procedures_docs/mental_health/Visiting%20Protocols%20for%20Children%20Young%20People%20Visiting%20IPU%20V1%2007.pdf
In older codes and law the variant meaning is inferred from context. Certainly qualifications for the supreme position in government would have more strict requirements, and correspondent restrictive definitions of terms than any other. And in this case such is the case from all historical context about that section of qualifications for the Presidency.