154-580: Between 73 and 79 days after the presidential election , the president-elect of the United States is inaugurated as president by taking the presidential oath of office . The inauguration takes place for each new presidential term, even if the president is continuing in office for a second term. The first inauguration of George Washington took place on April 30, 1789. All subsequent public inaugurations from 1793 until 1933 were held on March 4, except in 1821, 1849, 1877, and 1917, when March 4 fell on
308-710: A 21-gun salute is fired using artillery pieces from the Presidential Guns Salute Battery, 3rd United States Infantry Regiment "The Old Guard" located in Taft Park, north of the Capitol. The actual gun salute begins with the first "ruffle and flourish", and "run long" (i.e. the salute concludes after "Hail to the Chief" has ended). The Marine Band, which is believed to have made its inaugural debut in 1801 for Thomas Jefferson's first inauguration,
462-517: A Democratic National Committee -commissioned panel led by Senator George McGovern – the McGovern–Fraser Commission – recommended that states adopt new rules to assure wider participation. A large number of states, faced with the need to conform to more detailed rules for the selection of national delegates in 1972, chose a presidential primary as an easier way to come into compliance with the new national Democratic Party rules. The result
616-743: A federal holiday , is observed as a holiday by federal employees who would be working in the "Inauguration Day Area" and who are regularly scheduled to perform non-overtime work on Inauguration Day. There is no in-lieu-of holiday for employees or students who are not regularly scheduled to work or attend school on Inauguration Day. The Inauguration Day Area consists of the District of Columbia; Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland; Arlington and Fairfax counties in Virginia (the City of Fairfax
770-452: A Bible when taking the oath in 1825; neither did Theodore Roosevelt in 1901. In 1853, Franklin Pierce affirmed the oath of office rather than swear it. More recently, a Catholic missal was used for Lyndon B. Johnson's 1963 swearing in ceremony. Bibles of historical significance have sometimes been used at inaugurations. George H. W. Bush , Jimmy Carter and Dwight D. Eisenhower used
924-471: A President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President-elect nor a Vice President-elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified. Section 4. The Congress may by law provide for
1078-512: A Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Election Commission . This has led presidential candidates, especially members from the two major political parties, to officially announce their intentions to run as early as the spring of the previous calendar year so they can start raising or spending the money needed for their nationwide campaign. Potential candidates usually form exploratory committees even earlier to determine
1232-437: A Sunday and the public inauguration ceremony took place on Monday, March 5. Since 1937, it has taken place at noon EST on January 20, the first day of the new term, except in 1957, 1985, and 2013, when January 20 fell on a Sunday. In those years, the presidential oath of office was administered on that day privately and then again in a public ceremony the next day, on Monday, January 21. Those inaugurations were all coincidentally
1386-498: A Sunday, five presidents have taken the oath privately before the public inaugural ceremonies. There is no requirement that any book, or in particular a book of sacred text, be used to administer the oath, and none is mentioned in the Constitution. By convention, incoming presidents raise their right hand and place the left on a Bible or other book while taking the oath of office. While most have, John Quincy Adams did not use
1540-432: A campaign speech – just a little straight talk among friends". ( Full text [REDACTED] ) Since 1937, the ceremony has incorporated one or more prayers. Since 1933 an associated prayer service either public or private attended by the president-elect has often taken place on the morning of the day. At times a major public or broadcast prayer service takes place after the main ceremony most recently on
1694-475: A combination of both. These primaries and caucuses are staggered generally between January and June before the federal election, with Iowa and New Hampshire traditionally holding the first presidential state caucus and primary, respectively. Like the general election, presidential caucuses or primaries are indirect elections. The major political parties officially vote for their presidential candidate at their respective nominating conventions, usually all held in
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#17327874304391848-450: A federal office must file a Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Election Commission before they can receive contributions aggregating in excess of $ 5,000 or make expenditures aggregating in excess of $ 5,000. Thus, this began a trend of presidential candidates declaring their intentions to run as early as the spring of the preceding calendar year so they can start raising and spending the money needed for their nationwide campaign. There
2002-429: A forestalled release and the medals were distributed after the actual inauguration. Nonetheless, President Roosevelt was very pleased with the result. Saint-Gaudens' design, executed by Adolph A. Weinman , was cast by Tiffany & Company and was proclaimed an artistic triumph. Saint-Gaudens' practice of creating a portrait sculpture of the newly elected president is still used today in presidential medal creation. After
2156-571: A long time to count and report ballots, and because of the winner's logistical issues in moving to the capital. With improvements in transportation and the passage of the Twentieth Amendment , presidential inaugurations were moved forward to noon on January 20, thereby allowing presidents to start their duties sooner. The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 was enacted to increase disclosure of contributions for federal campaigns . Subsequent amendments to law require that candidates to
2310-452: A majority of votes, having been on the ticket for both Jackson and Adams, there was no need for the Senate to vote for a vice president. Since 1824, aside from the occasional "faithless elector", the popular vote indirectly determines the winner of a presidential election by determining the electoral vote, as each state or district's popular vote determines its electoral college vote. Although
2464-560: A majority vote in the Electoral College. In the presidential election of 1824 , Andrew Jackson received a plurality , but not a majority, of electoral votes cast. The election was thrown to the House, and John Quincy Adams was elected president. A deep rivalry resulted between Andrew Jackson and House Speaker Henry Clay , who had also been a candidate in the election. Since the vice presidential candidate John Calhoun received
2618-465: A moot issue later in the 19th century when it became the norm for popular elections to determine a state's Electoral College delegation. Electors chosen this way are pledged to vote for a particular presidential and vice presidential candidate (offered by the same political party). Although the president and vice president are legally elected separately, in practice they are chosen together. The Twelfth Amendment also established rules when no candidate wins
2772-424: A part of the state, to elect their electors.) This movement toward greater democratization coincided with a gradual decrease in property restrictions for the franchise . By 1840 , only one of the 26 states ( South Carolina ) still selected electors by the state legislature. Every other state was electing its electors by general ticket plurality voting state-wide. By 1872 no states elected their electors using
2926-447: A part of their electors by use of district votes within the respective state. Eighteen states also have specific laws that punish electors who vote in opposition to the plurality, known as " faithless " or " unpledged " electors. In modern times, faithless and unpledged electors have not affected the ultimate outcome of an election, so the results can generally be determined based on the state-by-state popular vote. In addition, most of
3080-665: A popular vote, a number of states used to select presidential electors by a direct vote of the state legislature itself. However, federal law does specify that all electors must be selected on the same day, which is "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November," i.e., a Tuesday no earlier than November 2 and no later than November 8. Today, the states and the District of Columbia each conduct their own popular elections on Election Day to help determine their respective slate of electors. Twentieth Amendment to
3234-409: A significant national crisis in a timely manner. Each institution could do this on the theory that, at best, a lame-duck Congress or administration had neither the time nor the mandate to tackle problems, whereas the incoming administration or Congress would have both the time and a fresh electoral mandate, to examine and address the problems the nation faced. These problems very likely would have been at
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#17327874304393388-432: A third (independent) candidate achieved significant success (although still finishing in third place) was Ross Perot in 1992 , and the last time a third-party candidate received any electoral votes not from faithless electors was George Wallace in 1968 . In the first two presidential elections, the Electoral College handled both the nominations and elections in 1789 and 1792 that selected Washington. Starting with
3542-429: A vice presidential running mate to join the ticket, which is either determined by choice of the nominee or by a second round of voting. Because of changes to national campaign finance laws since the 1970s regarding the disclosure of contributions for federal campaigns, presidential candidates from the major political parties usually declare their intentions to run as early as the spring of the previous calendar year before
3696-521: A year after they had been elected. Special sessions sometimes met earlier in the year, but this never became a regular practice, despite the Constitution allowing for it. In practice, Congress usually met in a long session beginning in Decembers of odd-numbered years, and in a short lame-duck session in December of even-numbered years. The long lame-duck period might have been a practical necessity at
3850-512: Is allocated a number of electors equal to the number of its delegates in both houses of Congress, combined. In 1961, the ratification of the Twenty-Third Amendment granted a number of electors to the District of Columbia, an amount equal to the number of electors allocated to the least populous state. However, U.S. territories are not allocated electors, and therefore are not represented in the Electoral College. Constitutionally,
4004-426: Is carried live via the major U.S. commercial television and cable news networks; various ones also stream it live on their websites. When a president has assumed office intra-term, the inauguration ceremony has been conducted without pomp or fanfare. To facilitate a quick presidential transition under extraordinary circumstances, the new president takes the oath of office in a simple ceremony and usually addresses
4158-542: Is confirmed that it is much more effective than contacting potential voters by email or by phone, (Sides et al., pg. 147 para, 2, 3). These are just some of the wide variety of tactics used in campaigns. Under the United States Constitution, the manner of choosing electors for the Electoral College is determined by each state's legislature. Although each state designates electors by popular vote, other methods are allowed. For instance, instead of having
4312-650: Is considered part of Fairfax County for this purpose), and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church in Virginia. Most presidential inaugurations since 1801 have been held in Washington D.C. at the Capitol Building . Prior inaugurations were held, first at Federal Hall in New York City (1789), and then at Congress Hall in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania (1793 and 1797). Each city was, at
4466-462: Is estimated that about 160,000 people were in the National Mall areas in the hour leading up to Donald Trump 's swearing in. An additional 30.6 million people in the United States watched it on television, and more than 6.8 million worldwide streamed it live on Twitter . Among the inauguration mass communication milestones are: Inauguration procedure is governed by tradition rather than
4620-498: Is made around this date as well (which happened in 1957, 1985, and 2013). This resulted in several anomalies. It has been alleged that in 1849, Senate President pro tempore David Rice Atchison was president for a day, although all scholars dismiss that claim. In 1877, due to the controversy over the Compromise of 1877 , Rutherford B. Hayes was sworn in secretly on March 3 before Ulysses S. Grant 's term ended on March 4—raising
4774-672: Is no provision for the role of political parties in the U.S. Constitution, since the Founding Fathers did not originally intend for American politics to be partisan. Thus, the first president, George Washington , was elected as an independent . Since the emergence of the American two-party system , and the election of Washington's successor, John Adams , in 1796 , all winners of U.S. presidential elections have represented one of two major parties. Third parties have taken second place only twice, in 1860 and 1912 . The last time
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4928-407: Is sufficient to elect a general ticket using popular vote. But in the first presidential election in 1789 , for example, some states used "open" list block voting ; Maryland used block voting but had guaranteed seats for different parts of the state; Virginia elected its 12 electors by first-past-the-post voting contest in 12 districts. Other states later used multi-member districts, each covering
5082-553: Is the first Monday in December, though Congress is empowered to set another date and the president can summon special sessions. The original text of the Constitution set a duration for the terms of federal elected officials, but not the specific dates on which those terms would begin or end. In September 1788, after the necessary nine states had ratified the Constitution, the Congress of the Confederation set March 4, 1789, as
5236-402: Is the only musical unit to participate in all three components of the presidential inauguration: the swearing-in ceremony, the inaugural parade, and an inaugural ball. During the ceremony, the band is positioned directly below the presidential podium at the U.S. Capitol. Newly sworn-in presidents usually give a speech referred to as an inaugural address. As with many inaugural customs, this one
5390-407: Is the responsibility of state legislatures to regulate voter eligibility and registration. And the specific requirements for voter eligibility and registration also vary by state, e.g. some states ban convicted felons from voting. The modern nominating process of U.S. presidential elections consists of two major parts: a series of presidential primary elections and caucuses held in each state, and
5544-404: Is the utilization of previous election results and survey data that can be used to identify who falls into the categories given in section one. Third, it is not essential, nor possible to get the support of every voter in an election. The campaign focus should be held mostly to keeping the base and using data to determine how to swing the undecided voters. Fourth, now that the campaign has identified
5698-477: The 1796 election , congressional party or a state legislature party caucus selected the party's presidential candidates. That system collapsed in 1824, and since 1832 the preferred mechanism for nomination has been a national convention . Delegates to the national convention were usually selected at state conventions whose own delegates were chosen by district conventions. Sometimes they were dominated by intrigue between political bosses who controlled delegates;
5852-497: The 1824 election was the only presidential election under the current system decided by a contingent election in Congress that elected a different president than the candidate with a plurality in both the electoral and popular vote. (The 1800 election and the 1824 election were decided in the House. In 1800 the House winner was the candidate who had won a plurality of the popular vote.) Presidential elections occur every four years on Election Day , which since 1845 has been
6006-540: The 1981 inauguration of Ronald Reagan , the ceremony has been held at the west front of the United States Capitol facing the National Mall with its iconic Washington Monument and distant Lincoln Memorial . From 1829 through 1977, most swearing-in ceremonies had taken place on a platform over the steps at the Capitol's east portico. They have also been held inside the Old Senate Chamber ,
6160-516: The 280-millimeter atomic cannon . In 1977, Jimmy Carter became the first president to set out by foot for more than a mile on the route to the White House. The walk has become a tradition that has been matched in ceremony if not in length by the presidents who followed. Twice during the 20th century, an inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue was not held. In 1945, at the height of World War II , Franklin D. Roosevelt 's fourth Inauguration
6314-711: The Armed Forces , the Capitol Police , the United States Park Police (USPP), and the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPDC). Federal law enforcement agencies also sometimes request assistance from various other state and local law-enforcement agencies throughout the United States. Beginning with George Washington, there has been a traditional association with Inauguration festivities and
United States presidential inauguration - Misplaced Pages Continue
6468-750: The Chief Justice of the United States . Others have administered the oath on occasions when a new president assumed office intra-term due to the incumbent's death or resignation. William Cranch , chief judge of the U.S. Circuit Court, administered the oath of office to John Tyler in 1841 when he succeeded to the presidency upon William Henry Harrison 's death, and to Millard Fillmore in 1850 when Zachary Taylor died. In 1923, upon being informed of Warren Harding 's death, while visiting his family home in Plymouth Notch, Vermont , Calvin Coolidge
6622-468: The Continental Army , local militia units and Revolutionary War veterans escorted George Washington to his first inauguration ceremony. Their participation traditionally includes musical units, color guards , salute batteries and honor cordons . Military support to the inauguration honors the new president, who is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and recognizes civilian control of
6776-612: The Electoral College deadlocked regarding either the presidential or vice presidential elections. Section 1. The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified. Section 2. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on
6930-411: The Electoral College —conduct a contingent presidential election . The new date reduced the period between election day in November and Inauguration Day, the presidential transition , by about six weeks. Section 1 also specifies noon January 3 as the start and end of the terms of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives; the previous date had also been March 4. Section 2 moves
7084-691: The Electoral Count Act in 1887 in response to the disputed 1876 election , in which several states submitted competing slates of electors. The law established procedures for the counting of electoral votes. It has subsequently been codified into law in Title 3 of the United States Code . It also includes a " safe harbor " deadline where states must finally resolve any controversies over the selection of their electors. Until 1937, presidents were not sworn in until March 4 because it took
7238-630: The George Washington Inaugural Bible . Barack Obama placed his hand upon the Lincoln Bible for his oaths in 2009 and 2013, as did Donald Trump in 2017. Joe Biden placed his hand upon a large leather-bound family Bible. Immediately after the presidential oath, the United States Marine Band will perform four "ruffles and flourishes", followed by " Hail to the Chief ", while simultaneously,
7392-555: The Great Depression respectively. In 1916, during World War I , President Woodrow Wilson devised an unorthodox plan to avoid a lame-duck presidency and allow his Republican opponent Charles Evans Hughes to assume presidential powers immediately if Hughes had won the election. In that case, Wilson planned to appoint Hughes as Secretary of State , who under the Presidential Succession Act of 1886
7546-615: The Twenty-Third Amendment granted voting rights to citizens of D.C.) is then elected to that office. If no candidate receives an absolute majority of the votes for president, the House of Representatives elects the president; likewise if no one receives an absolute majority of the votes for vice president, then the Senate elects the vice president. United States presidential elections differ from many other republics around
7700-561: The Washington Navy Yard , accompanied by military music, marched with the president on foot as he rode on horseback from the Capitol to the White House. By the time of William Henry Harrison 's inauguration in 1841, political clubs and marching societies would regularly travel to Washington for the parade. That year was also the first in which floats were part of the parade. It was at Lincoln's second inauguration, in 1865, that Native Americans and African Americans participated in
7854-476: The chief justice of the United States typically administers the presidential oath of office. Since 1789, the oath has been administered at 59 scheduled public inaugurations, by 15 chief justices, one associate justice , and one New York state judge. Others, in addition to the chief justice, have administered the oath of office to several of the nine vice presidents who have succeeded to the presidency upon their predecessor's death or resignation intra-term. Since
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#17327874304398008-577: The president and for vice president of the United States is an indirect election in which citizens of the United States who are registered to vote in one of the fifty U.S. states or in Washington, D.C. , cast ballots not directly for those offices, but instead for members of the Electoral College . These electors then cast direct votes, known as electoral votes, for president and for vice president. The candidate who receives an absolute majority of electoral votes (at least 270 out of 538, since
8162-429: The presidential nominating conventions held by each political party . This process was never included in the Constitution, and thus evolved over time by the political parties to clear the field of candidates. The primary elections are run by state and local governments, while the caucuses are organized directly by the political parties. Some states hold only primary elections, some hold only caucuses, and others use
8316-589: The 3d day of January unless they shall by law appoint a different day. Section 3. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President-elect shall have died, the Vice President-elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President-elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President-elect shall act as President until
8470-447: The 50 states if they want to qualify on each state's ballot, and the requirements for filing vary by state. The eligibility of an individual for voting is set out in the Constitution and regulated at state level. The 15th , 19th and 26th Amendments to the Constitution state that suffrage cannot be denied on grounds of race or color, sex, or age for citizens eighteen years or older, respectively. Beyond these basic qualifications, it
8624-495: The 73rd Congress not being required to meet until January 3, 1934. The first Congress to open its first session and begin its members' terms on the new date was the 74th Congress in 1935. The first presidential and vice presidential terms to begin on the date appointed by the Twentieth Amendment were the second terms of President Roosevelt and Vice President Garner, on January 20, 1937. As Section 1 had shortened
8778-429: The Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God. At noon, the new presidential and vice presidential terms begin. At about that time,
8932-491: The Constitution, the only constitutionally required procedure being the presidential oath of office (which may be taken anywhere, with anyone in attendance who can legally witness an oath, and at any time prior to the actual beginning of the new president's term). Traditionally, the president-elect arrives at the White House and then proceeds to the Capitol Building with the out-going president. Around or after 12 noon,
9086-490: The Democratic and Republican party conventions also include "unpledged" delegates who have a vote. For Republicans, they consist of the three top party officials from each state and territory. Democrats have a more expansive group of unpledged delegates called " superdelegates ", who are party leaders and elected officials. Each party's presidential candidate also chooses a vice presidential nominee to run with him or her on
9240-584: The Democratic candidate in the previous three presidential elections, and the number of electoral votes each state had in the Electoral College. In contrast, the Republicans assigned to each state 10 delegates, plus three delegates per congressional district. Both parties then gave a fixed number of delegates to each territory, and finally bonus delegates to states and territories that passed certain criteria. Along with delegates chosen during primaries and caucuses, state and U.S. territory delegations to both
9394-566: The Electoral College attempted to elect a constitutionally unqualified person as president. Section 3 also authorizes Congress to determine who should be acting president if a new president and vice president have not been chosen by Inauguration Day. Acting on this authority, Congress added "failure to qualify" as a possible condition for presidential succession in the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 . The Constitution previously had been silent on this point, and this lack of guidance nearly caused constitutional crises on two occasions: when
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#17327874304399548-413: The House of Representatives seemed unable to break the deadlocked election of 1800 , and when Congress seemed unable to resolve the disputed election of 1876 . Section 4 permits Congress to statutorily clarify what should occur if either the House of Representatives must elect the president, and one of the candidates from whom it may choose dies, or if the Senate must elect the vice president and one of
9702-485: The House. In response to the 1800 election, the Twelfth Amendment was passed, requiring electors to cast two distinct votes: one for president and another for vice president. While this solved the problem at hand, it reduced the prestige of the vice presidency, as the office was no longer held by the leading challenger for the presidency. The separate ballots for president and vice president became something of
9856-521: The Senate may vote to disqualify that person from holding any "public office... under the United States" in the future. Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits the election to any federal office of any person who engaged in insurrection after having held any federal or state office, rebellion or treason; this disqualification can be waived if such an individual gains the consent of two-thirds of both houses of Congress. In addition,
10010-487: The Twelfth Amendment establishes that the vice-president must meet all the qualifications of being a president. Although not a mandatory requirement, Federal campaign finance laws including the Federal Election Campaign Act state that a candidate who intends to receive contributions aggregating in excess of $ 5,000 or make expenditures aggregating in excess of $ 5,000, among others, must first file
10164-464: The Twelfth Amendment, the House must choose the president out of the top three people in the election. Clay had come in fourth, so he threw his support to Adams, who then won. Because Adams later named Clay his Secretary of State, Jackson's supporters claimed that Adams gained the presidency by making a deal with Clay. Charges of a "corrupt bargain" followed Adams through his term. In five presidential elections ( 1824 , 1876 , 1888 , 2000 , and 2016 ),
10318-463: The U.S. Constitution in 1789. The exception to this pattern was those years in which March 4 fell on a Sunday. When it did, the public inauguration ceremony would take place on Monday, March 5. This happened on four occasions, in 1821, 1849, 1877, and 1917. Inauguration Day moved to January 20, beginning in 1937, following ratification of the Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution , where it has remained since. A similar Sunday exception and move to Monday
10472-599: The United States . The Electoral College and its procedure are established in the U.S. Constitution by Article II, Section 1, Clauses 2 and 4 ; and the Twelfth Amendment (which replaced Clause 3 after its ratification in 1804). Under Clause 2, each state casts as many electoral votes as the total number of its Senators and Representatives in Congress , while (per the Twenty-third Amendment, ratified in 1961) Washington, D.C., casts
10626-599: The United States Constitution The Twentieth Amendment ( Amendment XX ) to the United States Constitution moved the beginning and ending of the terms of the president and vice president from March 4 to January 20, and of members of Congress from March 4 to January 3. It also has provisions that determine what is to be done when there is no president-elect . The Twentieth Amendment
10780-417: The age and residency requirements by Inauguration Day . The Twenty-second Amendment to the Constitution also sets a term limit : a president cannot be elected to more than two terms. The U.S. Constitution also has two provisions that apply to all federal officers appointed by the president, and debatably also to the presidency. When Senator Barack Obama was elected president a legal debate concluded that
10934-491: The auspices of a Presidential Inaugural Prayer Committee based at Old St. George's. The first Inaugural Ball was held on the night of James Madison 's first inauguration in 1809. Tickets were $ 4 and it took place at Long's Hotel. The security for the inaugural celebrations is a complex matter, involving the Secret Service , Department of Homeland Security , Federal Protective Service (DHS-FPS), all five branches of
11088-399: The basic constitutional definition), and the specific details of running each state's electoral college meeting. All elections, including federal, are administered by the individual states. Thus, the presidential election is really an amalgamation of separate state elections instead of a single national election run by the federal government. Candidates must submit separate filings in each of
11242-491: The candidates from whom it may choose dies. Congress has never enacted such a statute. On February 15, 1933, 23 days after the amendment was adopted, President-elect Roosevelt was the target of an assassination attempt by Giuseppe Zangara . While Roosevelt was not injured, had the attempt been successful, then vice president-elect John Nance Garner would have become president on March 4, 1933, pursuant to Section 3. Section 5 delayed Sections 1 and 2 taking effect until
11396-413: The case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them. Section 5. Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October following
11550-426: The center of the debate of the just-completed election cycle. This dilemma was seen most notably in 1861 and 1933, after the elections of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt , respectively, plus the newly elected senators and representatives. Under the Constitution at the time, these presidents had to wait four months before they and the incoming Congresses could deal with the secession of Southern states and
11704-529: The ceremony. All pending events were cancelled so preparations for Johnson's state funeral could begin. Because of the construction work on the center steps of the East Front, Johnson's casket was taken up the Senate wing steps of the Capitol when taken into the rotunda to lie in state . When it was brought out, it came out through the House wing steps of the Capitol. In 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
11858-580: The chamber of the House of Representatives , and the Capitol rotunda . The most recent regularly scheduled inauguration not to take place at the Capitol was the fourth inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945, which was held at the White House . Over the years, various traditions have arisen that have expanded the inauguration from a simple oath-taking ceremony to a day-long event, including parades and multiple social gatherings. The ceremony itself
12012-572: The committee. The Joint Task Force National Capital Region , composed of service members from all branches of the United States Armed Forces , including Reserve and National Guard components, is responsible for all military support to ceremonies and to civil authorities for the inaugural period (in 2017, January 15–24). U.S. military personnel have participated in Inauguration Day ceremonies since 1789 when members of
12166-430: The contested swing states critical to winning an electoral college majority, so they do not try to maximize their popular vote by real or fraudulent vote increases in one-party areas. However, candidates have failed to get the most votes in the nationwide popular vote in a presidential election and still won. In the 1824 election, Jackson won the popular vote, but no one received a majority of electoral votes. According to
12320-429: The current procedure, where both the chief justice and the president speak the oath, is unknown. The oath of office was administered to Washington in 1789 by Robert Livingston , Chancellor of New York State. Four years later, the oath was administered by Supreme Court associate justice William Cushing . Since the 1797 inauguration of John Adams , it has become customary for the new president to be sworn into office by
12474-403: The date "for commencing proceedings" of the newly reorganized government. Despite the fact that the new Congress and presidential administration did not begin operation until April, March 4 was deemed to be the beginning of the newly elected officials' terms of office, and thus of the terms of their successors. The Constitution did not specify a date for federal elections, but by the time of
12628-539: The death or resignation of a president) have traditionally been outdoor public ceremonies. In 1909, William H. Taft 's inauguration was moved to the Senate Chamber due to a blizzard. Then, in 1985, the public second inauguration of Ronald Reagan was held indoors in the Capitol Rotunda because of harsh weather conditions. The first inauguration of Andrew Jackson , in 1829, was the first of 35 held on
12782-406: The east front of the Capitol. Since the 1981 first inauguration of Ronald Reagan, they have been held on the Capitol's west front; a move designed to both cut costs and to provide more space for spectators. Above the west front inaugural platform are five large United States flags . The current 50-star flag is displayed in the center. On either side are earlier variations of the national flag: two are
12936-616: The edge of the North Lawn , a custom begun by James Garfield in 1881. The parade, which proceeds along 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the stand and the Front Lawn in view of the presidential party, features both military and civilian participants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia; this parade largely evolved from the post-inaugural procession to the White House, and occurred as far back as Jefferson's second inauguration in 1805, when workers from
13090-406: The eight occasions where the new president succeeded to the office upon their predecessor's death intra-term, none gave an address, but each did address Congress soon thereafter. When Gerald Ford became president in 1974, following the resignation of Richard Nixon , he addressed the nation after taking the oath, but he characterized his speech as "Not an inaugural address, not a fireside chat , not
13244-468: The election (almost 21 months before Inauguration Day). Article Two of the Constitution originally established the method of presidential elections, including the creation of the Electoral College , the result of a compromise between those constitutional framers who wanted the Congress to choose the president, and those who preferred a national popular vote. As set forth in Article Two, each state
13398-406: The election of either a president or vice president, the incoming Congress, as opposed to the outgoing one, would conduct a contingent election, following the process set out in the Twelfth Amendment. Section 3 further refines the Twelfth Amendment by declaring that if the president-elect dies before Inauguration Day , the vice president-elect will be sworn in as president on that day and serve for
13552-420: The end of the 18th century, when any newly elected official might require several months to put his affairs in order and then undertake an arduous journey from his home to the national capital, but it eventually had the effect of impeding the functioning of government in the modern age. From the early 19th century, it also meant a lame-duck Congress and presidential administration would fail to adequately respond to
13706-412: The feasibility of them actually running. The U.S. presidential election process, like all other elections in the United States , is a highly decentralized system. While the U.S. Constitution does set parameters for the election of the president and other federal officials, state law, not federal, regulates most aspects of elections in the U.S., including the primaries, the eligibility of voters (beyond
13860-639: The festivities were scaled back. Since 1953, the president and vice president have been guests of honor at a luncheon held by the leadership of the United States Congress immediately following the inaugural ceremony. The luncheon is held in Statuary Hall and is organized by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, and attended by the leadership of both houses of Congress as well as guests of
14014-475: The finances. The most expensive form of advertising is running ads on broadcast television and is the best way to reach the largest number of potential voters. This tactic does have its drawback, however, as it is the most expensive form of advertisement. Even though it reaches the largest number of potential voters it is not the most effective way of swaying voters. The most effective way is believed to be through personal contact as many political scientists agree. It
14168-504: The first October 15 following the amendment's ratification. As it was adopted on January 23, 1933, Section 1 shortened the terms of representatives elected to the 73rd Congress (1933–1935), as well as those of senators elected for terms ending in 1935, 1937, and 1939, by 60 days, by ending those terms on January 3 of each odd-numbered year rather than the March 4 date on which those terms originally were due to expire. Section 5 also resulted in
14322-425: The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. This date coincides with the general elections of various other federal, state, and local races; since local governments are responsible for managing elections, these races typically all appear on one ballot. The Electoral College electors then formally cast their electoral votes on the first Monday after December 12 at their state's capital. Congress then certifies
14476-493: The first state to establish a presidential preference primary, which requires delegates to the National Convention to support the winner of the primary at the convention. The impetus for national adoption of the binding primary election was the 1968 Democratic National Convention . Vice President Hubert Humphrey secured the presidential nomination despite not winning a single primary under his own name. After this,
14630-401: The full four-year term to which that person was elected. It further states that if, on Inauguration Day, a president-elect has not yet been chosen, or if the president-elect fails to qualify, the vice president-elect would become acting president on Inauguration Day until a president-elect is chosen or the president-elect qualifies; previously, the Constitution did not say what was to be done if
14784-416: The general election in November, while the nominating conventions are held in the summer. Though not codified by law, political parties also follow an indirect election process, where voters in the fifty states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories , cast ballots for a slate of delegates to a political party's nominating convention, who then elect their party's presidential nominee. Each party may then choose
14938-492: The general election, voters in the U.S. territories can also elect delegates to the national conventions. Furthermore, each political party can determine how many delegates to allocate to each state and territory. In 2012 for example, the Democratic and Republican party conventions each used two different formulas to allocate delegates. The Democrats-based theirs on two main factors: the proportion of votes each state gave to
15092-459: The highest number of votes (provided it was a majority of the electoral votes) became the president, and the second-place candidate became the vice president. This presented a problem during the presidential election of 1800 when Aaron Burr received the same number of electoral votes as Thomas Jefferson and challenged Jefferson's election to the office. In the end, Jefferson was chosen as the president because of Alexander Hamilton 's influence in
15246-553: The idea in 1989, President George H. W. Bush invited the public to a "White House American Welcome" on the day after the inaugural. Grover Cleveland ’s 1885 inaugural parade lasted three hours and showcased 25,000 marchers. Eighty years later, Lyndon Johnson ’s parade included 52 select bands. Dwight D. Eisenhower 's 1953 parade included about 22,000 service men and women and 5,000 civilians, which included 50 state and organization floats costing $ 100,000. There were also 65 musical units, 350 horses, 3 elephants, an Alaskan dog team, and
15400-448: The ideal base strategy, it is now time to allocate resources properly to make sure your strategy is fulfilled to its extent, (Sides et al. pg. 126, para 4, and pg. 127, para 1). Campaign tactics are also an essential part of any strategy and rely mostly on the campaign's resources and the way they use them to advertise. Most candidates draw on a wide variety of tactics in the hopes to flood all forms of media, though they do not always have
15554-502: The ideas may differ the goal of them all are the same, "...to mobilize supporters and persuade undecided voters..." (Sides et al., pg. 126 para, 2). The goal of any campaign strategy is to create an effective path to victory for the intended candidate. Joel Bradshaw is a political scientist who has four propositions necessary to develop such a strategy. The first one being, the separation of the eligible voters into three groups: Undecided voters, opponent voters, and your voting base. Second,
15708-408: The inaugural parade for the first time. Women were involved for the first time in 1917. In 1829, following his first inaugural parade, Andrew Jackson held a public reception at the White House, during which 20,000 people created such a crush that Jackson had to escape through a window. Nevertheless, White House receptions continued until lengthy afternoon parades created scheduling problems. Reviving
15862-424: The inaugural platform with their successor, six did not: The way inauguration ceremony events are communicated to the public has changed over the years with each advance in technology. Improvements in mass media technologies have allowed presidents to reach substantially greater numbers of their constituents. In 1829, Andrew Jackson spoke to approximately 10,000 people at his inauguration. Most recently, in 2017, it
16016-478: The inauguration of president and vice president (other than the ceremony), such as the balls and parade. Since 1901, the Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has been responsible for the planning and execution of the swearing-in ceremonies. Since 1953, it has also hosted a luncheon at the U.S. Capitol for the new president, vice president, and guests. Three senators and three representatives make up
16170-439: The inauguration to five days after. On some occasions however, either due to the preferences of the new president or to other constraining circumstances, they have been scaled back. Such was the case in 1945, because of rationing in effect during World War II . More recently, in 1973, the celebrations marking Richard Nixon's second inauguration were altered because of the death of former president Lyndon B. Johnson two days after
16324-417: The late 20th century both the Democratic and Republican parties have favored sports arenas and domed stadiums to accommodate the increasing attendance. One major component of getting elected to any office is running a successful campaign. There are, however, multiple ways to go about creating a successful campaign. Several strategies are employed by candidates from both sides of the political spectrum. Though
16478-495: The legislature of each state determines how its electors are chosen; Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 states that each state shall appoint electors "in such Manner as the Legislature Thereof May Direct". During the first presidential election in 1789 , in four of the 11 states of the time, the electors were elected directly by voters. In two others, a hybrid system was used where both
16632-419: The military. In addition to the public, the attendees at the inauguration generally include the vice president , members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, high-ranking military officers, former presidents and vice-presidents, living Medal of Honor recipients, and other dignitaries. The outgoing president and vice president also customarily attend the ceremony. While most outgoing presidents have appeared on
16786-439: The nation afterward. This has happened nine times in United States history: eight times after the previous president had died while in office, and once after the previous president had resigned. The first inauguration , that of George Washington, took place on April 30, 1789. All subsequent (regular) inaugurations from 1793 until 1933, were held on March 4, the day of the year on which the federal government began operations under
16940-445: The national convention was far from democratic or transparent. Progressive Era reformers then looked to the primary election as a way to measure popular opinion of candidates, as opposed to the opinion of the bosses. Florida enacted the first presidential primary in 1901. The Wisconsin direct open primary of 1905 was the first to eliminate the caucus and mandate direct selection of national convention delegates. In 1910, Oregon became
17094-486: The nationwide popular vote does not directly determine the winner of a presidential election, it does strongly correlate with who is the victor. In 54 of the 59 total elections held so far (about 91 percent), the winner of the national popular vote has also carried the Electoral College vote. The winners of the nationwide popular vote and the Electoral College vote have differed only in close elections. In highly competitive elections, candidates focus on turning out their vote in
17248-458: The new president. For Congress, the situation was perhaps even more awkward. Because Article I, Section 4, Clause 2 mandated a Congressional meeting every December, after the election but before Congressional terms of office had expired, a lame-duck session was required by the Constitution in even-numbered years; the next session was not required until the next December, meaning new members of Congress might not begin their work until more than
17402-411: The next day. Six inaugural ceremonies since 1961 have included a reading by a poet. The following poetry readings have taken place: Over the years, various inauguration traditions have arisen that have expanded the event from a simple oath-taking ceremony to a day-long one, including parades, speeches, and balls. In fact, contemporary inaugural celebrations typically span 10 days, from five days before
17556-411: The oath first, followed by the president's speech. William McKinley requested the change in 1897, so that he could reiterate the words of the oath at the close of his first inaugural address. William Henry Harrison delivered the longest inaugural address, at 8,445 words, in 1841. John Adams' 1797 address, which totaled 2,308 words, contained the longest sentence, at 737 words. In 1793, Washington gave
17710-531: The official flag adopted by Congress after the admission to the Union of the new president's home state and two are the 13-star flag popularly known as the Betsy Ross flag . Before Inauguration Day, the president-elect will name a Presidential Inaugural Committee. This committee is the legal entity responsible for fundraising for and the planning and coordination of all official events and activities surrounding
17864-482: The other side. Unlike his predecessor, when Theodore Roosevelt took his oath of office in 1905, he found the previous presidential medal unacceptable. As an art lover and admirer of the ancient Greek high-relief coins, Roosevelt wanted more than a simple medal—he wanted a work of art. To achieve this goal, the president hired Augustus Saint-Gaudens , a famous American sculptor, to design and create his inauguration medal. Saint-Gaudens' obsession with perfection resulted in
18018-431: The parameters set in the U.S. Constitution, state law, not federal, regulates most aspects of administering the popular vote, including most of the voter eligibility and registration requirements. Almost all states edict the winner of the plurality of its constituent statewide popular vote ('one person, one vote') shall receive all of that state's electors ("winner-takes-all'). A couple - Nebraska and Maine - determine
18172-718: The prayer service has been held at the Washington National Cathedral . This is not the same as the Inaugural Prayer, a tradition also begun by Washington, when on June 1, 1789, Methodist bishops Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke, Rev. John Dickins, the pastor of Old St. George's (America's oldest Methodist Church) and Major Thomas Morrell, one of President Washington's former aides-de-camp called upon Washington in New York City. This tradition resumed in 1985 with President Reagan and continues under
18326-468: The president and vice president. By tradition, the outgoing president and vice president will not attend. In 2021, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the luncheon was replaced by a gift-giving ceremony. Following the arrival of the presidential entourage to the White House , it is customary for the president, vice-president, their respective families and leading members of the government and military to review an inaugural parade from an enclosed stand at
18480-440: The president recites the constitutionally mandated oath of office: I do solemnly swear (or affirm ) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. According to Washington Irving 's biography of George Washington, after reciting the oath at his (and the nation's) first inauguration, Washington added
18634-480: The president sits for the sculptor, the resulting clay sketch is turned into a life mask and plaster model. Finishing touches are added and the epoxy cast that is created is used to produce the die cuts. The die cuts are then used to strike the president's portrait on each medal. From 1929 through 1949, the official medal was struck by the U.S. Mint . This changed in 1953 when the Medallic Art Company
18788-532: The president takes the oath of office, usually administered by the chief justice of the United States , and then delivers the inaugural address. The vice president is sworn into office in the same ceremony as the president. Prior to 1937, the vice presidential oath was administered in the Senate Chamber (in keeping with the vice president's position as president of the Senate). The oath is administered to
18942-420: The president was not an "office under the United States" for many reasons, but most significantly because Article I, Section 3, Clause 7 would violate the legal principle of surplusage if the president were also a civil officer. There exists no case law to resolve the debate however public opinion seems to favor that the presidency is also bound by the following qualifications: Upon conviction at impeachment,
19096-433: The production of a presidential medal . With the District of Columbia attracting thousands of attendees for inauguration, presidential medals were an inexpensive souvenir for the tourists to remember the occasion. However, the once-simple trinket turned into an official presidential election memento. In 1901, the first Inauguration Committee on Medals and Badges was established as part of the official Inauguration Committee for
19250-436: The question if the United States had two presidents at the same time for one day. In modern times, the president took the oath on a Sunday in a private ceremony and repeated it the following day with all the pomp and circumstance. In 1985 and 2013, these ceremonies were televised. Irregular inaugurations occurred on nine occasions intra-term, after the death or, in one case, resignation of a president. Inauguration Day, while not
19404-405: The ratification of this article. Section 6. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission. Article I, Section 4, Clause 2 of the Constitution states that Congress must meet at least once a year. The default date specified
19558-436: The re-election of President McKinley. The Committee saw official medals as a way to raise funding for the festivities. Gold medals were to be produced as gifts for the president, vice president, and committee chair; silver medals were to be created and distributed among Inauguration Committee members, and bronze medals would be for sale for public consumption. McKinley's medal was simple with his portrait on one side and writing on
19712-462: The re-inauguration of the incumbent president to a second and final term. The most recent presidential inauguration was held on January 20, 2021 , when Joe Biden assumed office. Recitation of the presidential oath of office is the only component in this ceremony mandated by the United States Constitution (in Article II, Section One, Clause 8 ). Though it is not a constitutional requirement,
19866-458: The results in early January, and the presidential term begins on Inauguration Day , which since the passage of the Twentieth Amendment has been set at January 20. The nomination process, consisting of the primary elections and caucuses and the nominating conventions , was not specified in the Constitution, but was developed over time by the states and political parties . These primary elections are generally held between January and June before
20020-522: The right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations." In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt avowed, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” And in 1961, John F. Kennedy declared, "And so my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country." On
20174-534: The same ticket , and this choice is rubber-stamped by the convention. If no single candidate has secured a majority of delegates (including both pledged and unpledged), then a " brokered convention " results. All pledged delegates are then "released" and can switch their allegiance to a different candidate. Thereafter, the nomination is decided through a process of alternating political horse trading , and additional rounds of re-votes. The conventions have historically been held inside convention centers , but since
20328-434: The same number of electoral votes as the least-represented state, which is three. Also under Clause 2, the manner for choosing electors is determined by each state legislature , not directly by the federal government. Many state legislatures previously selected their electors directly, but over time all switched to using votes cast by state voters to choose the state's members of the electoral college (electors). Beyond
20482-414: The second presidential election in 1792, Congress had passed a law requiring presidential electors to be chosen during November or early December. By 1845, this was narrowed to a single day, in early November. Congressional elections were generally held on the same day. The result of these scheduling decisions was that there was a long, four-month lame duck period between the election and inauguration of
20636-483: The shortest inaugural address on record, just 135 words. Most presidents use their inaugural address to present their vision of America and to set forth their goals for the nation. Some of the most eloquent and powerful speeches are still quoted today. In 1865, in the waning days of the Civil War , Abraham Lincoln stated, "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see
20790-409: The start of a partial presidential term following the intra-term death or resignation of an incumbent president. With the 2021 inauguration of Joe Biden , the oath has been taken 73 different times by 45 people. This numerical discrepancy results chiefly from two factors: a president must take the oath at the beginning of each term of office, and, because the day of inauguration has sometimes fallen on
20944-490: The state legislature - all the states had switched to the general ticket method, Colorado having been the last hold-out. And today only two states - Maine and Nebraska - elect at least some of their electors through a different method than that general ticket method, in their cases it is First-past-the-post voting in districts covering part of the state. Under the original system established by Article Two, electors cast votes for two candidates for president. The candidate with
21098-457: The summer before the federal election. Depending on each state's law and state's political party rules, when voters cast ballots for a candidate in a presidential caucus or primary, they may be voting to award delegates "bound" to vote for a candidate at the presidential nominating conventions, or they may simply be expressing an opinion that the state party is not bound to follow in selecting delegates to their respective national convention. Unlike
21252-568: The time, the nation's capital . The location for James Monroe 's 1817 swearing in was moved to the Old Brick Capitol in Washington due to ongoing restoration work at the Capitol building following the War of 1812. Three other inaugurations— Franklin D. Roosevelt 's fourth (1945), Harry S. Truman 's first (1945), and Gerald Ford 's (1974)—were held at the White House . Presidential inaugurations (aside from intra-term ceremonies following
21406-459: The time, the winner as determined by the electoral college also has received the largest part of the national popular vote. There have been four exceptions: 1876 , 1888 , 2000 , and 2016 , in which the Electoral College winner's portion of the popular vote was surpassed by an opponent. Although taking fewer votes, the winner claimed more electoral college seats, due to winning close and narrow pluralities in numerous swing states . In addition,
21560-520: The vice president first. Immediately afterwards, the United States Marine Band will perform four " ruffles and flourishes ", followed by " Hail, Columbia ". Unlike the presidential oath, however, the Constitution does not specify specific words that must be spoken. Several variants of the oath have been used since 1789. The current form, which is also recited by senators, representatives, and other government officers, has been in use since 1884: I do solemnly swear (or affirm ) that I will support and defend
21714-446: The voters and the state legislatures took part in electing the electors. In five, the state legislatures themselves elected the electors. Gradually more states began conducting popular elections to choose their slate of electors. In 1800, five of the 16 states chose electors by a popular vote; by 1824, after the rise of Jacksonian democracy , 18 of the 24 states chose electors by popular vote. (In most cases simple state-wide plurality
21868-537: The winner of the electoral vote lost the popular vote outright. Numerous constitutional amendments have been submitted seeking to replace the Electoral College with a direct popular vote, but none has ever successfully passed both Houses of Congress. Another alternate proposal is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact , an interstate compact whereby individual participating states agree to allocate their electors based on
22022-618: The winner of the national popular vote instead of just their respective statewide results. The presidential election day was established on a Tuesday in November because of the factors involved (weather, harvests and worship). When voters used to travel to the polls by horse, Tuesday was an ideal day because it allowed people to worship on Sunday, ride to their county seat on Monday, and vote on Tuesday—all before market day, Wednesday. November also fits nicely between harvest time and harsh winter weather, which could be especially challenging for people traveling by horse and buggy . Congress passed
22176-426: The words "so help me God". However, the only contemporaneous source that fully reproduced Washington's oath completely lacks the religious codicil. The first newspaper report that actually described the exact words used in an oath of office, Chester Arthur's in 1881, repeated the "query-response" method where the words, "so help me God" were a personal prayer, not a part of the constitutional oath. The time of adoption of
22330-408: The world (operating under either the presidential system or the semi-presidential system ) which use direct elections from the national popular vote ('one person, one vote') of their entire countries to elect their respective presidents. The United States instead uses indirect elections for its president through the Electoral College, and the system is highly decentralized like other elections in
22484-421: The yearly start date of congressional sessions from the first Monday in December, as mandated by Article I, Section 4, Clause 2, to noon on January 3 of the same year, though Congress still can by law set another date and the president can summon special sessions. This change eliminated the extended lame duck congressional sessions. As a result of this change, if the Electoral College vote has not resulted in
22638-573: Was adopted on January 23, 1933, after 36 states, being three-fourths of the then-existing 48 states, ratified the Amendment. Section 1 of the Twentieth Amendment prescribes that the start and end of the four-year term of both the president and vice president shall be at noon on January 20. The change superseded the Twelfth Amendment's reference to March 4 as the date by which the House of Representatives must—under circumstances where no candidate won an absolute majority of votes for president in
22792-399: Was adopted on January 23, 1933. The amendment reduced the presidential transition and the " lame duck " period, by which members of Congress and the president serve the remainder of their terms after an election. The amendment established congressional terms to begin before presidential terms and that the incoming Congress, rather than the outgoing one, would hold a contingent election if
22946-453: Was chosen to strike Walker Hancock 's portrait of President Eisenhower. The official medals have been struck by private mints ever since. The Smithsonian Institution and The George Washington University hold the two most complete collections of presidential medals in the United States. Gerald Ford 's unscheduled inauguration also had a medal. United States presidential election [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The election of
23100-401: Was second in the presidential line of succession. President Wilson and Vice President Thomas R. Marshall would have then both resigned, leaving Hughes to become acting president. The plan was never implemented because Wilson was narrowly re-elected . The 72nd Congress proposed the Twentieth Amendment on March 2, 1932, and the amendment was ratified by the following states. The Amendment
23254-544: Was simple and austere with no fanfare or formal celebration following the event. There was no parade because of gas rationing and a lumber shortage. In 1985, with the temperature near 7 °F (−14 °C), all outdoor events for Ronald Reagan 's second inauguration were canceled or moved indoors. A tradition of an interfaith national prayer service, usually the day after the inauguration, dates back to George Washington and since Franklin Delano Roosevelt ,
23408-420: Was started by George Washington in 1789. After taking his oath of office on the balcony of Federal Hall, he proceeded to the Senate chamber where he read a speech before members of Congress and other dignitaries. Every president since Washington has delivered an inaugural address. While many of the early presidents read their addresses before taking the oath, current custom dictates that the chief justice administer
23562-447: Was sworn in as president by his father, John Calvin Coolidge, Sr. , a notary public . Most recently, federal judge Sarah T. Hughes administered the oath of office to Lyndon B. Johnson aboard Air Force One after John F. Kennedy's assassination on November 22, 1963. Since 1789 there have been 59 inaugural ceremonies to mark the commencement of a new four-year term of a president of the United States, and an additional nine marking
23716-541: Was that many more future delegates would be selected by a state presidential primary. The Republicans also adopted many more state presidential primaries. Article Two of the Constitution stipulates that for a person to serve as president, the individual must be a natural-born citizen of the United States , at least 35 years old, and a resident of the United States for a period of no less than 14 years. A candidate may start running their campaign early before turning 35 years old or completing 14 years of residency, but must meet
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