Copy of 20th Amendment
Published on Nov 19, 2015
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
What the Constitution says:
Section 1.
The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.
Section 2.
The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.
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Section 3.
If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.
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Section 4.
The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them.
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Section 5.
Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article.
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Section 6.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission.
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Why this amendment?
In the original Constitution, the President, Vice President and members of Congress did not take office until March 4; four months after the election. This was necessary because, in the 18th century, it would take several months for a newly elected official to put his affairs in order and make the difficult journey to the capitol.
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Continued
As transportation, telecommunications and technology improved, less time was needed to arrange affairs and travel. The four months between the election and when officials were seated did, however, create a long period in which “lame duck” officials were still in power. These outgoing officials, especially when large numbers of them were outgoing, could create laws and mischief for which they had no mandate. This was a major problem problem in 1861 and 1933.
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How was it passed?
36 states ratified the proposal. Missouri was the 36th state to ratify satisfying the 3/4 requirement of the then 48 states
This didn't change American culture because it is not an iconic amendment, most states agreed on it.
There was no famous people involved with this amendment that I could find
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