What is the 20th Amendment
- Steven Topazio wrote this October 2, 2024 at 5:01 pm
The 20th Amendment to the United States Constitution, also known as the “Lame Duck Amendment,” was ratified on January 23, 1933. The 20th Amendment’s primary purpose is to reduce the amount of time between the election of new federal officials and when they assume office, addressing the problem of the “lame duck” period where outgoing officials hold power without accountability to voters.
The key provisions of the 20th Amendment are:
Section 1: The terms of the President and Vice President end at noon on January 20th, and the terms of Senators and Representatives end at noon on January 3rd. Their successors’ terms begin at the same times.
Section 2: Congress shall assemble at least once every year, with the meeting beginning at noon on January 3rd, unless they appoint a different day by law.
Section 3: If the President-elect dies before taking office, the Vice President- elect becomes President. If a President has not been chosen before the start of the term, or if the President-elect does not qualify, the Vice President-elect acts as President until a President qualifies. Congress may provide by law for cases where neither a President-elect nor a Vice President-elect has qualified.
Section 4: Congress may 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.
Section 5: Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article.
Section 6: The amendment shall be inoperative unless it has 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.
Overall, the 20th Amendment aims to streamline and update the schedule for the transition of power, thereby enhancing the efficiency and responsiveness of the federal government.