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Curated
United States Presidential Inaugural Addresses, 1789-2009 (ICPSR 24303)
Released/updated on: 2009-03-24
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1789-01-01--2009-12-31
This collection includes the Inaugural Addresses of United States Presidents from George Washington in 1789 to Barack Obama in 2009. Article II, Section 1 of the United States Constitution provides for an executive power in the Office of President. The Constitution does not require a formal ceremony to inaugurate a president, but it does prescribe an oath that must be taken by the president-elect: "Before he enter on the execution of his office, he shall take the following oath or affirmation: 'I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.'" Before a crowd at Federal Hall in Philadelphia on April 30, 1789, George Washington became the first president to take this oath. Afterward, Washington delivered a short speech, establishing the precedent for inaugural addresses. Soon, presidential inaugurations became ceremonial events, and the speech delivered by the incoming president was studied as a guide to the next administration. (John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Chester Arthur, and Gerald Ford -- all one-term presidents sworn in at each predecessor's death or resignation -- gave no inaugural address.) The Constitution had originally specified March 4 as the date by which the president must be chosen, and that became the inauguration date. As more presidential electors were chosen by popular vote in the November election, the outgoing president became known as a "lame duck" in the four months that separated the choice of a president from his inauguration. The Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution (adopted in 1933) provided that henceforth Congress would convene on January 3 and the presidential term would begin on January 20. On January 20, 1937, Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president nominated under the terms of the 20th Amendment.
Curated
ABC News/Washington Post Pre-Inaugural Monthly Poll, January 2005 (ICPSR 4313)
Released/updated on: 2005-10-26
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2005-01-01--2005-01-31
This special topic poll, conducted January 12-16, 2005, was undertaken to assess public opinion prior to George W. Bush's second-term inauguration as President of the United States of America. Views were sought on President Bush and his handling of the presidency, as well as on issues such as the economy, foreign affairs, social security, taxes, health care, and education. Respondents were asked if they thought President Bush would do a better job as a president in his second term than in his first term, and whether the country should go in Bush's or the Democrats' in Congress leadership direction. Respondents were also asked what level of priority Bush and the Congress should give issues such as the United States campaign against terrorism, health care, and restricting medical malpractice and class-action lawsuits. Likewise, opinions were solicited on whether Bush would or would not make substantial progress in the next four years on, for example, the economy, the situation in Iraq, and the federal budget deficit. Respondents were asked if they were hopeful or fearful about how the Bush Administration may deal with specific issues, such as environmental policy, same-sex marriage, appointing judges to the United States Supreme Court, and social security. Questions about the war in Iraq asked respondents whether they believed it was worth fighting and if the war had contributed to the long-term security of the United States. Other questions concerned the elections in Iraq, social security, the cost of Bush's inauguration, whether companies should face big penalties in lawsuits, potential new laws regulating medical lawsuits and class-action lawsuits, the United States' handling of illegal immigrants, and what the single biggest environment problem is that the world faces. Background information on respondents includes political party affiliation, the strength of their political party affiliation, whether they voted in the November 2004 presidential election, for whom they voted -- George W. Bush (Republican), John Kerry (Democrat), Ralph Nader (Green Party), or Other -- in the November 2004 presidential election, political orientation, education, religion, Hispanic origin, ethnicity, income, and sex.