Presidential Inauguration In Context

Post by Angelina Clapp (JMU ’20, Political Science), Ryan Ritter (JMU ’23, History & International Affairs) and Charlie Conner (JMU ’23, Political Science & History)

Background Information 

On Wednesday, January 20, 2021, Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States. Kamala Harris will make history as the first woman and first woman of color to serve as Vice President. President Biden’s term will start at noon on the day of the inauguration as prescribed by the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:

The terms of the President and the 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; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.

According to Article II, Section 1, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution, presidents are required to take the following oath of office:

“I, [name], 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.”

Joe Biden’s inauguration is occurring amidst one of the most politically polarized moments in American history. After the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th and multiple reports of possible violence before and on Inauguration Day, security in the nation’s capital has been heightened to a new extreme. Images of road blockades, armed guards in the capitol and on the streets of D.C., and the closure of the mall and other public areas sends a message to citizens to stay at home. With a state of emergency declared for the district, over 10,000 troops have been present with the possibility of 5,000 more for Inauguration Day. The Department of the Interior has canceled and denied permits for demonstrations in the area through January 24, 2021.

People are encouraged to celebrate at home and participate in the festivities virtually. There will be no public access or viewing area with only congress and their guests present to watch. The FBI is monitoring an “extensive amount of concerning online chatter…about a number of events surrounding the inauguration.” This chatter led to the cancelation of Biden’s inauguration rehearsal and to the deputization of 4,000 law enforcement officers from around the nation to assist the Metropolitan Police Department with security. Airlines have also been on high alert since the insurrection and due to increased security challenges. Delta, American, Southwest, United and Alaska have all banned guns in passengers luggage for flights into D.C.

The James Madison Center for Civic Engagement wishes to recognize and thank James Madison University students who have been deployed to D.C. to protect the peaceful transition of power. Thank you for your service and for continuing to protect our democracy. 

Historical Context 

The U.S. Constitution only offers the date and the words of the oath of office, all other things relating to the day are driven by traditions that have evolved over decades. Thomas Jefferson was the first president to be sworn in at our nation’s capital; he then rode his horse to the president’s house while music played and citizens waved. This was the first inaugural parade and has been a tradition ever since. James and Dolley Madison were the first guests of honor at the very first inaugural ball. The inaugural ball later became a tradition and served as a space for the new president to bring diverse groups into the transition of power.

Many inaugural traditions will be adapted to fit the virtual landscape this year due to security issues and the COVID-19 pandemic. The public is encouraged to stay home and participate in the historic event online. Tony Allen, chief executive of the Inaugural Committee said in a statement, “We definitely want to honor the big, broad traditions of the inaugural, but we also want to be sensitive to the realities of the moment, and have safety protocols first and foremost.”

Inaugural Address

George Washington began the custom of delivering an Inaugural Address on April 30, 1789. After taking his oath of office on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City, Washington proceeded to the Senate chamber where he read a speech before members of Congress and other dignitaries. Inaugural speeches set the tone for an incoming administration and usually lay out a vision for the country.

In his March 04, 1809 inaugural address, James Madison listed the principles he would use to guide him through the challenges of the presidency:

To cherish peace and friendly intercourse with all nations having correspondent dispositions; to maintain sincere neutrality toward belligerent nations; to prefer in all cases amicable discussion and reasonable accommodation of differences to a decision of them by an appeal to arms; to exclude foreign intrigues and foreign partialities, so degrading to all countries and so baneful to free ones; to foster a spirit of independence too just to invade the rights of others, too proud to surrender our own, too liberal to indulge unworthy prejudices ourselves and too elevated not to look down upon them in others; to hold the union of the States as the basis of their peace and happiness; to support the Constitution, which is the cement of the Union, as well in its limitations as in its authorities; to respect the rights and authorities reserved to the States and to the people as equally incorporated with and essential to the success of the general system; to avoid the slightest interference with the right of conscience or the functions of religion, so wisely exempted from civil jurisdiction; to preserve in their full energy the other salutary provisions in behalf of private and personal rights, and of the freedom of the press; to observe economy in public expenditures; to liberate the public resources by an honorable discharge of the public debts; to keep within the requisite limits a standing military force, always remembering that an armed and trained militia is the firmest bulwark of republics–that without standing armies their liberty can never be in danger, nor with large ones safe; to promote by authorized means improvements friendly to agriculture, to manufactures, and to external as well as internal commerce; to favor in like manner the advancement of science and the diffusion of information as the best aliment to true liberty; to carry on the benevolent plans which have been so meritoriously applied to the conversion of our aboriginal neighbors from the degradation and wretchedness of savage life to a participation of the improvements of which the human mind and manners are susceptible in a civilized state–as far as sentiments and intentions such as these can aid the fulfillment of my duty, they will be a resource which can not fail me.

In 1861, Abraham Lincoln urged the seceding southern states to avoid war, or to heal and reconcile. 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 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 Delano Roosevelt attempted to allay the concerns of people gripped by the Great Depression, admonishing, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

In 1961, John F. Kennedy challenged the country to change and sacrifice, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

At his first inauguration in 1981, Ronald Reagan set out his vision for reducing the role of government, “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. From time to time we’ve been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people.”

Historical Tid Bits & What to Expect This Year

• “John Adams was the first president to skip his successor’s inauguration”. President Trump is expected to do the same and will be leaving Washington the morning of the inauguration.
• James Madison hosted the first inaugural ball”. This year there will be a virtual TV special hosted by Tom Hanks at 8:30 p.m. instead of the traditional inaugural balls.
• “Barack Obama’s inauguration attracted a record-breaking crowd”. Public access to the grounds of the capitol and major areas of the National Mall have been completely blocked off to the public, therefore limiting Biden’s audience to just members of congress and their guests.
• “For his fourth inauguration, Franklin D. Roosevelt skipped the parade.” This year, the traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue will be replaced by a virtual parade. 
• “During Andrew Jackson’s inauguration, there was a huge party in the White House that forced Jackson to escape through a sidedoor to Alexandria so he could assume the office of the President.” The people in the White House would only leave once large bowls of liquor and punch were placed on the White House lawn. 

Join JMU Civic and other American Democracy Project campuses for Inauguration Day discussions on Discord

Join us on Discord with other American Democracy Project campuses at 12 noon ET on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 to view and discuss the Inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-Elect Kamala Harris.

 

 

Discussion Questions 

1. What makes this transition of power different from those that have occurred after previous elections?
2. How can President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris work with Congress to address the many pressing public issues facing the country?
3. What are your concerns about the inauguration?
4. How do you think the public will perceive President Biden’s inaugural address? What issues should he include in his inaugural address?  How can his inaugural address deep divisions in the nation and set the agenda for reconciliation moving forward?
5. How do you think the country can move toward healing and reconciliation after the insurrection at the US Capitol building?
6. How do you think a Biden presidency will affect congressional and state legislature make-up?
7. How do you think the increased security and changes in public access to the inauguration impacts trust in American democracy?