Why We Inaugurate in January

Rowan · Post by **Rowan** » Mon January 19th, 2009, 5:46 pm

Just thought I'd share this that I found on Yahoo:

It's cold, maybe even freezing. Sometimes it snows. So why do we have to have a huge outdoor event to inaugurate a new president on January 20? Our first president, George Washington, was smart enough to get himself inaugurated on a more balmy April 30, 1789. What went wrong?

In short, the Constiution did it. Inaugurations used to be held in March to give electors four months to cast their ballots. But the Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution changed the date to Jan. 20, and Franklin D. Roosevelt's second swearing-in ceremony in 1937 was the first held on the new date. FindLaw says a report from the Senate Committee on the Judiciary offered some reasons for the change:

"[W]hen our Constitution was adopted there was some reason for such a long intervention of time between the election and the actual commencement of work by the new Congress.... Under present conditions [of communication and transportation] the result of elections is known all over the country within a few hours after the polls close, and the Capital City is within a few days' travel of the remotest portions of the country....

"Another effect of the amendment would be to abolish the so-called short session of Congress.... Every other year, under our Constitution, the terms of Members of the House and one-third of the Members of the Senate expire on the 4th day of March.... Experience has shown that this brings about a very undesirable legislative condition."

In other words, that's an awfully long lame-duck session, and we now have airplanes and 24-hour news and the Internet in 2008, we knew Obama would be the next president by 11pm ET. As the 2000 election reminded us, we don't always know who's going to president by the end of election night. And in the days of yore, presidents had to physically move to the nation's capital without the help of FedEx, super highways and United hubs.

Getting our president to work on time that seems a worthwhile amendment. And not to worry: President-elect Obama says a chilly weather report won't deter him from the traditional outdoor ceremony.

SonjaMarie · Post by **SonjaMarie** » Mon January 19th, 2009, 6:03 pm

As much as it would have been great to see such an event live, I'm not so disappointed that I get to watch it in my warm room!

SM

Rowan · Post by **Rowan** » Mon January 19th, 2009, 8:12 pm

Well, Sonja, celebrate tomorrow for me too. I fear the wrath that would come down on me were I to express any joy in tomorrow's events.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Mon January 19th, 2009, 9:21 pm

Thats too bad. I'll add an extra cheer for you while I am at the Progressive Democrats breakfast (taking a personal day off). I know our school is broadcasting it for the kids to watch, but really wanted to watch it around screaming Obama supporters and not screaming kiddies

diamondlil · Post by **diamondlil** » Mon January 19th, 2009, 9:29 pm

I would like to watch, but I am not sure that I will be getting out of bed at 3am to watch.

boswellbaxter · Post by **boswellbaxter** » Mon January 19th, 2009, 11:54 pm

I was going to watch anyway, but it looks as if we'll have a snow day here tomorrow, so the kids can watch also! (My daughter's school has already announced a closing though not a flake of snow has fallen yet--I think they were just waiting for an excuse to watch Obama themselves!)

SonjaMarie · Post by **SonjaMarie** » Mon January 19th, 2009, 11:56 pm

I'm keeping Harm home so that she can watch it with me.

SM

Rowan · Post by **Rowan** » Tue January 20th, 2009, 2:00 pm

I should toss in this note that it's not always the same date in January, either. The last president to be innaugurated on 20 January was Ronald Reagan. So now I have to wonder how they chose this particular date. Maybe because it was the closest they could get to MLK Jr. Day without being on the day?

boswellbaxter · Post by **boswellbaxter** » Tue January 20th, 2009, 2:49 pm

Googling Clinton and Bush turned up January 20 dates for them too.

The 20th amendment (1933) states, "The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January."

Rowan · Post by **Rowan** » Tue January 20th, 2009, 3:33 pm

Well NPR don't know it's history.