Posted on 01/03/2017 9:29:30 AM PST by Kaslin
Originally the new president was inaugurated March 4th. The 20th amendment moved inaugural up to Jan 20th. And this was done to shorten the time between election and the new president taking office. Perhaps the 20th amendment should be revised???? To shorten the time even further??
Presidents also have a tendency to issue pardons on their last day in office. If someone deserves a pardon why don’t presidents do it before the election day? Let them defend their pardon from political criticism if they believe so strongly in that pardon. Such as Clinton’s pardon of Marc Rich.
I would like a discussion of why the Constitution should (or should not) be amended to end the president’s pardon power the day after Election Day in which the president is not reelected.
Let them do their dirty work in public before the election.
Nothing we can do about the transition, short of a constitutional amendment. A prior amendment moved the date from March to January. With recounts, maybe it should be moved to December 1, with a lame duck provision included.
Why not immediately after the Electoral College ratifies the election? That could be done the day of the election, or as soon as the results are official. Then the inauguration the day after that? No need for all the pomp and pageantry that it has become.
But all that would obviously require a constitutional amendment.
No Constitutional Amendment required. Inauguration date was changed from March to January in the 1930s. Federal law could change it again. Federal law could change the date of the electors’ meetings as well.
“The office combines the head of state with the head of government”
A meaningless distinction unless you have royalty.
The lame duck is a hold over from the 1700s when transportation in winter was a serious issue. And also it reflected the minor role of DC in America. The State capitols were the true centers of power.
Its insane to let people like Obama retain full power for over 2 months after the election.
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