Transfer of National Power

Today we witnessed that uniquely American quadrennial ritual of the transfer of power from one president to another. This transfer is a mix of law, of ritual, of history, of custom, and of extreme pageantry. And there is no parallel to it anywhere else in the world.

For full pageantry within deep tradition, one can only look to the few remaining monarchies in this world, principally the English monarchy and the Japanese royal throne. But these are transitions initiated by death, ascended to only by the right of birth.

Unlike the United States, most countries follow a parliamentary system of government modeled after modern-day Great Britain. A ceremonial head of state with greater or lesser authority is invested in its President. A political leader with real governing authority is vested separately in its Prime Minister, who is also usually the leader of his/her political party. In America, we seemingly sadistically vest all of these responsibilities onto the shoulders of one President, the only major-power country to do so.

For all of its perhaps showy, if not gaudy, celebration, the American inaugural ceremony is also an important testament. It is a re-demonstration of America at its best, a reaffirmation about what is truly most important about America. This restatement of America at the level of its values, character and convictions is important. It is a message important not only to Americans, but also to the world. It is a message that abstract philosophies can be made practical, diversity of beliefs can come together for a greater good, political stability can be achieved, and human rights and the equality of the common man and woman can be advanced over time.

Unlike some places, America’s transfer of power is regular. There is no arbitrariness or guesswork about it. It happens at 12 noon on January 20th every four years in the year after those years evenly divided by 4. Unless that schedule is interrupted by death, in which case interim succession is spelled out in extensive depth and detail. And one person can only succeed him-/herself once. That is pretty specific, very regularized. We all know what is forthcoming.

This transfer is orderly. The mechanisms and processes are fully delineated in law, known ahead of time by all. It is not a question of political timing or perceived advantage or military intervention or votes of “lack of confidence.” If there is some dispute regarding how the law is observed, the legal path to resolution is preset. Even if I may disagree with the outcome of this process, I retain faith in and respect for that process. The law may unfortunately take awhile to catch up to full inclusion (e.g. by race, by gender), but our history has shown a steady march towards fulfilling our declared goal of “liberty and justice for all.”

Our transfer is timely. With four noted exceptions within 220 years (Jefferson in 1800, John Quncy Adams in 1824, Rutherford Hayes in 1876, and G.W. Bush in 2000), Americans vote and the results are known timely. Even when horse-trading or court clarification was needed in these there exceptions, the country was answered within a short time. Clarified in time for the scheduled inauguration day. Bitter lingering feelings, perhaps; but we moved on to the important business of governing. When an internal war between the states was fought over whether we could pick and choose to abide by an election outcome, that option was decisively rejected 144 years ago. So we all hang in there with each other, respect the process, and work out our needs and problems together.

Our legacy, a legacy we continue to share with the world as a living example, is to affirm that we are a nation not of the person but of structure, form, and institutions. Great and not-so-great people have given their service, and we have alternated between greatness and mediocrity. At times we have needed arms to enforce our laws, but we have never used arms to make our laws by force. However convoluted at times, however frustrating or seemingly remote government may feel, however abused the public trust has been, our country is still a working collective synthesis of millions of individuals and diverse beliefs. Because our faith and respect for our heritage and institutions transcend our faith in any one individual.

The story is told that during Franklin Roosevelt’s wartime inaugural the daughter of General George Marshall (our nation’s top general during WW II) refused to stand when President Roosevelt’s procession drove by. She remained seated to demonstrate her disagreement, if not dislike, of Roosevelt the man. Her father, a man of impeccable integrity and loyalty to his country, stood and said to his daughter, “We are not standing to honor Franklin Roosevelt. We are standing to honor the President of the United States of America.”
She stood. As we all similarly stand today to honor a new President who just happens to be named Barack Obama. Who happens to be different in certain ways from many other Americans. With whom we may agree or disagree on many specifics. But in whom we will respect the office he temporarily holds on our behalf, in whose successes or failures we will all share, and through whom our Republic will continue to demonstrate the continuing fulfillment of all that can be possible.