Naked Science Forum

General Discussion & Feedback => Just Chat! => Topic started by: chris on 07/11/2012 22:40:46

Title: Does Obama have to pack up the White House, like in the Apprentice?
Post by: chris on 07/11/2012 22:40:46

Does Obama have to pack his stuff the night before the election, like the contestants on the Apprentice ahead of their boardroom appearance?

I find the idea of him and the other bloke standing in front of Sugar with their stuff in a wheelie suitcase outside getting told "you're fired" really quite amusing...

Chris

Title: Re: Does Obama have to pack up the White House, like in the Apprentice?
Post by: syhprum on 08/11/2012 08:16:50

I think he has until January to clear his desk and hand back his nuclear war starting device.

Title: Re: Does Obama have to pack up the White House, like in the Apprentice?
Post by: CliffordK on 08/11/2012 08:44:42

The 20th amendment of the constitution (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twentieth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution) sets inauguration day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_inauguration) to be the 20^th of January following the election, although I think if the day lands on a Sunday (as in 2013), it actually is held the following day, January 21^st.

It seems like it is an awful long time after the election, but the US Government doesn't get dissolved like happens in man parliamentary governments...  although perhaps sometimes it should be.

The advantage is that it gives some time for planning and a government transition.

There is a term called Lame Duck (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lame_duck_session) that applies to both the president and the congress which occurs between the election and the end of the year, in which the outgoing president/congress has nothing to loose, and can actually get a little work done without worrying about an upcoming election. 

Traditionally many presidential pardons are given during the period between the election and the end of the term.

I believe the transition of the White House is quick on inauguration day.  Often the incoming president will do some minor remodelling and customization to the White House when they move in.

Of course, the twenty second amendment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution) establishes presidential term limits of two terms (8 years), which was written following President Franklin Roosevelt's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt#Fourth_term_and_death.2C_1945) FOUR terms in office.  Prior to Franklin Roosevelt, the first president, George Washington had established a tradition of stepping down after 2 terms, but this was never written into law.  George Washington was also the only president that was ever elected with a unanimous vote, and feared becoming King George 1^st.

There have been people wanting to establish term limits for Congress, but so far that has not happened, and it is difficult to get Congress to have a consensus to establish term limits on themselves.