Editing President of the United States (section)

=== Inauguration ===
{{Main|United States presidential inauguration}}

Pursuant to the [[Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Twentieth Amendment]], the four-year term of office for both the president and the vice president begins at noon on January 20, in the year following the preceding presidential election.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendments/amendment-xx |title=The Twentieth Amendment |last1=Larson |first1=Edward J. |last2=Shesol |first2=Jeff |website=The Interactive Constitution |publisher=The National Constitution Center |location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |access-date=June 15, 2018}}</ref> The first presidential and vice presidential terms to begin on this date, known as [[United States presidential inauguration|Inauguration Day]], were the [[Second inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt|second terms]] of President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] and Vice President [[John Nance Garner]] in 1937.<ref name="HHistory1201937">{{Cite web |url=http://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail/35948?ret=True |title=The First Inauguration after the Lame Duck Amendment: January 20, 1937 |publisher=Office of the Historian, U.S. House of Representatives |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=July 24, 2018}}</ref> Previously, Inauguration Day was on March 4. As a result of the date change, the first term (1933–37) of both men had been shortened by {{age in days|1937|1|20|1937|3|4}} days.<ref name="GPOCONAN20171021">{{Cite web |url=https://www.congress.gov/content/conan/pdf/GPO-CONAN-2017-10-21.pdf |title=Commencement of the Terms of Office: Twentieth Amendment |website=Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation |publisher=United States Government Printing Office, Library of Congress |location=Washington, D.C. |pages=2297–98 |access-date=July 24, 2018}}</ref>

Before executing the powers of the office, a president is required to [[Recitation|recite]] the [[Oath of office of the president of the United States|presidential Oath of Office]], found in [[Article Two of the United States Constitution#Clause 8: Oath or affirmation|Article II, Section 1, Clause{{nbsp}}8 of the Constitution]]. This is the only component in the inauguration ceremony mandated by the Constitution:

{{blockquote|I do solemnly swear (or [[Affirmation in law|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.<ref name="VK218">{{Cite web |url=https://www.heritage.org/constitution/#!/articles/2/essays/85/oath-of-office |title=Essays on Article II: Oath of Office |last=Kesavan |first=Vasan |website=The Heritage Guide to The Constitution |publisher=The Heritage Foundation |access-date=August 2, 2018}}</ref>}}

Presidents have traditionally placed one hand upon a [[Bible]] while taking the oath, and have added "So help me God" to the end of the oath.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/how-presidents-use-bibles-at-inaugurations |title=How Presidents use Bibles at inaugurations |last=NCC Staff |date=January 20, 2017 |website=Constitution Daily |publisher=National Constitution Center |location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |access-date=August 3, 2018 |archive-date=August 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804014507/https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/how-presidents-use-bibles-at-inaugurations |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/who-said-that-a-quick-history-of-the-presidential-oath |title=Who said that? A quick history of the presidential oath |last=Munson |first=Holly |date=July 12, 2011 |website=ConstitutionDaily |publisher=National Constitution Center |location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |access-date=August 3, 2018 |archive-date=August 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804014505/https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/who-said-that-a-quick-history-of-the-presidential-oath |url-status=dead }}</ref> Although the oath may be administered by any person authorized by law to administer oaths, presidents are traditionally sworn in by the [[Chief Justice of the United States|chief justice of the United States]].<ref name=VK218 />