Today, January 20th, the current president, Donald Trump, took the presidential oath of office and was welcomed back into our government. This event, the Presidential Inauguration, is very important to our democracy and a time-honored tradition, as a peaceful transfer of leadership starts a presidential term off on the right foot. What even happens on Inauguration Day?

Well, to start, it is usually a tradition for the current and future presidents to have a private meeting, though last time President Donald Trump refused to have such a meeting with Joe Biden. This is then followed by them going to the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony. The first to be sworn in, though, is the Vice President. After a short speech, the main event begins; the president is sworn in. His speech lasts much longer, usually around 30 minutes. This speech covers the goals for the upcoming term, some highlighted plans, and much more. An invited singer performs the national anthem afterward, and the new President and Vice President then leave for a post-inauguration speech and luncheon. 

After the ceremony, the new president can work on policies they wish to cover on their first day. These, of course, are different for each president, but some examples include Joe Biden, in 2021, signing policies to mandate wearing masks on federal property and to rejoin the World Health Organization, and Donald Trump, in 2016, signing policies to lessen the economic burden of the Affordable Care Act (commonly known as Obamacare) and expediting environmental reviews and approvals for high priority infrastructure projects. These first policies usually set the tone for the next four years. 

All in all, the significant event of Inauguration Day is important to our government as it lets us get a glimpse into what our new president’s term will bring to our country.