Inauguration Day Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. Under the 20th Amendment, on what date does a new presidential term normally begin?
The first Monday in February
January 6
March 4
January 20
2. Which constitutional amendment moved the beginning of presidential terms from March 4 to January 20?
The 12th Amendment
The 22nd Amendment
The 20th Amendment
The 25th Amendment
3. A speaker is quoting the presidential oath. Which phrase accurately appears in its constitutional wording?
I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States
I will faithfully lead the government and people of the United States
I will preserve the laws and traditions of the United States
I will defend the nation against all domestic disagreement
4. A president-elect dies after the electoral process has produced a winner but before the new term begins. Under the 20th Amendment, what happens at the start of the term?
The outgoing president automatically serves another full term
The vice president-elect becomes President
The Speaker of the House immediately becomes President for four years
The election is automatically repeated nationwide
5. A president-elect plans to take the oath but deliver no inaugural address. Which statement best describes the address?
It is required by the 20th Amendment
It is required only for a president's first term
It must be delivered, but it may be postponed for up to 30 days
It is a longstanding tradition rather than a constitutional requirement
6. By the start of a new term, no president has qualified, but a vice president-elect has qualified. What does the 20th Amendment provide?
The Chief Justice temporarily exercises presidential powers
The outgoing president remains in office until Congress chooses a successor
The vice president-elect acts as President until a president qualifies
The Cabinet jointly exercises the presidency
7. At the customary joint inaugural ceremony, which officeholder generally takes the oath first?
The vice president
The president
The Speaker of the House
The Chief Justice
8. January 20 falls on a Sunday, and the public ceremony is planned for Monday. When does the new presidential term constitutionally begin?
When the Chief Justice arrives at the Capitol
When the Monday public ceremony opens
At noon on January 20
At midnight before the public ceremony
9. Why did moving Inauguration Day from March 4 to January 20 address a practical concern?
It gave the Supreme Court more time to review election results
It aligned presidential terms with the federal fiscal year
It guaranteed that the ceremony would occur during a congressional session
It shortened the interval in which outgoing officials remained in office after the election
10. Someone claims that only the Chief Justice can administer the presidential oath. Which response is most accurate?
Incorrect; the Chief Justice traditionally does it, but the Constitution does not require that official
Correct, except when the inauguration falls on a Sunday
Correct; Article II assigns the duty exclusively to the Chief Justice
Incorrect; the outgoing president is constitutionally required to administer it
11. Who was the first president inaugurated on January 20 after the 20th Amendment changed the date?
Herbert Hoover
Harry S. Truman
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Dwight D. Eisenhower
12. After President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, who administered Lyndon B. Johnson's presidential oath aboard Air Force One?
Chief Justice Earl Warren
Federal judge Sarah T. Hughes
Speaker John W. McCormack
Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy
13. A president-elect chooses not to use a Bible while taking the oath. What does the Constitution say about that choice?
A Bible is required, but the president-elect may choose the edition
A Bible is not constitutionally required
A Bible may be omitted only during a national emergency
Congress must approve the use of another text
14. The Chief Justice is unavailable when a president must take the oath promptly. Which approach is consistent with U.S. history and constitutional practice?
Have another legally authorized official administer the oath
Let the outgoing president administer the oath as a constitutional duty
Allow Congress to replace the oath with a written declaration
Delay the transfer of power until the Chief Justice returns
15. Where did George Washington take the first presidential oath of office in 1789?
Independence Hall in Philadelphia
The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Mount Vernon in Virginia
Federal Hall in New York City
16. A sitting president wins another term. What happens regarding the oath at the beginning of that new term?
The original oath remains valid, so no new oath is used
The president takes the oath again for the new term
The oath is optional unless the vice president changes
Only a written affirmation is submitted to Congress