Happy Birthday, Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution!

Center for Civic Education: The 20th Amendment

The 20th Amendment shortened the period between when the president, vice president, and members of Congress are elected and when they take office. It also specified what would happen if a president-elect were to die between the election and the inauguration.

The following summary was based on the transcript from The 20th Amendment video and simplified by Chat GPT

The 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

• Ratified: January 23, 1933
• Purpose: Shortened the time between elections and when newly elected officials take office, reducing the "lame duck" period.
  • A "lame duck" is a public official who is being replaced by someone newly elected but hasn’t yet left office.

Key Changes:

1. Congressional Terms:

   • Before: Newly elected members of Congress took office on March 4.
   • After: This date was changed to January 3.

2. Presidential Terms:

   • Before: Newly elected presidents and vice presidents took office on March 4.
   • After: This date was changed to January 20.

3. Start Date for Congressional Sessions:

   • Before: Sessions began on December 5.
   • After: Changed to January 3, but Congress can alter this date, which it has done many times.

4. Election Day:

   • Takes place on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, ensuring shorter waits for newly elected officials to assume office.

Special Provisions:

• Section 3:

  • If the president-elect dies or fails to qualify before taking office, the vice president-elect becomes president.

• Section 4:

• If a presidential candidate dies after the election, causing:
1. A tie in the Electoral College, or
2. No candidate to win a majority of Electoral College votes,
   Congress decides the winner through a vote.

POP QUIZ

USCIS 100:19.  We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years? 

USCIS 100:22.  We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?

USCIS 100:26.  We elect a President for how many years?

USCIS 100:27.  In what month do we vote for President?*

USCIS 100:30.  If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?