Why is there such a gap between the election and swearing in a new President and Vice President?

[Nexus2]

I've been curious and the latest clown show made me wonder even more.

[TexasTowelie]

1. It used to be longer.

Inauguration Day used to be on March 4 prior to the 1930s so they managed to shave off six weeks.

[RandySF]

2. Maybe the time it used to take people to gather for the inauguration.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

3. Poll results delivered by mule train or pony express?

.......

Don't know the complete history of when rules were established but likely placed well before the advent of fast mail delivery and the internet.

Perhaps our DU historians can deliver some insight.


KY.........

[Cosmocat]

9. Thats it

I mean it had to take weeks to get the word out, weeks for the president elect to sort things outbat home cause it isnt like he was going to be going back and forth, weeks to move in ...

[BlueMTexpat]

4. Per this article, it used

to be FOUR months!

https://qz.com/1935755/why-is-the-us-presidential-transition-period-so-long/


In relevant part:

...
The amendment was ratified in 1933, after the country sat through the delay imposed by Herbert Hoover’s lame duck period on Roosevelt’s New Deal reforms.

The Jan. 20 inauguration date gave the newly elected Congress, whose inauguration is set by the same amendment for Jan. 3, enough time to address the potential issue of an undecided election.

The buffer between the election and the inauguration was maintained to allow the incoming president to prepare the new administration—choosing cabinet members, and other key appointments—and get up to speed with the help of the exiting administration. Except, of course, when it doesn’t intend to help.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

8. Parliamentary democracies switch almost OVERNIGHT. Require robust govt (good form deep state). nt

[BlueMTexpat]

12. That's mostly because they

have "shadow" governments already in place.

[JI7]

5. I think the current time period is reasonable. We are a big country

so the time between election and inauguration helps to get ready if there is a new admin.

The problem right now is Trump so we have to change many laws to require things which were before done based on tradition and trust of those in office.

[hlthe2b]

6. It used to be 4 months until Hoover absolutely F'd things up so badly (depression) for FDR

and they changed it. Hard to imagine we would have had someone worse than Hoover, but we sure do. I only pray that Biden can be our FDR.

[barbtries]

7. after trump fucking up the covid response so badly,

maybe we could get it down to 4 days so common sense and caring could prevail for the people in a pandemic.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

10. Give 3 weeks to count and certify. Then force transition, and if resisted, inaugurate one week later

Thus there would be a functioning transition or a new government one month after voting.

Parliamentary democracies can do it almost overnight.

American exceptionalism is such that if there is a way to complicate things, Americans will find it and implement it. Elections, health care (insurance), pandemic response, ....

[The Genealogist]

11. In an election that doesn't involve a fascist dictator wannabe incumbent loser as candidate

That time allows for a smooth transition between presidents. The incoming folks need time to work with the outgoing folks to prepare for the next four years.

[yellowcanine]

13. Should be moved up to first Monday in January, imo. That way the new President, House, and Senate

would begin at the same time. Right now the losing VP, Pence will still be President of the Senate to certify the results of the election. It is a conflict of interest. I felt the same way when Gore did it in 2001.