On November 13th, President Biden welcomed Donald Trump to the White Housemarks the resumption of a long-standing practice. There It wasn't a meeting at the White House. After Biden defeated Trump in 2020.
In front of a gathering of reporters and photographers, Biden congratulated the president-elect and promised a “smooth transition of power.” He added: “We will do our best to accommodate your requests.”
fox news quote Political scientist Wayne L'Esperance: “President Biden's decision to welcome President-elect Trump to the White House is a nod to the normalization of the presidential transition process.'' “This is a noteworthy move in that it legitimizes the return to power, and we hope that efforts will be made for an orderly transition of power in the future.”
A week after the election, Biden spoke to the American people and assured them there would be a “peaceful and orderly transition of power.” He added: “We accept the choice our country has made.''
“I will fulfill my duties as president. I will keep my oath. On January 20th, we will have a peaceful transfer of power here in America,” he reiterated.
In either case did What does Biden refer to? Deployed after the 2020 election. There was no need for that.
Many believe it was an unprecedented event. As the National Geographic article states, before Trump, “no presidential candidate had refused to concede defeat after all votes had been counted and legal issues had been resolved.”
But as we look back at our history, we see that what Biden has done is more than just another chapter in the story of a peaceful transfer of power. History shows that the transfer of power at the federal and state levels has not always been smooth, peaceful, or a model of correct democratic behavior.
The beginning of a peaceful transition of power in this country Can be traced back to 1801 The first time “the leader of a political party ceded the reins of government to the opposition.” In the election of 1800, John Adams, the second Federalist president of the United States, lost to Democratic-Republican candidateThomas Jefferson.
role of Sarah Pruitt explain“During Adams's presidency, Democratic-Republicans and Federalists clashed on everything from taxes to religion, but especially over the major policy dilemma facing the nation: how to deal with the ongoing French Revolution.” “Bitter disagreements,” says Pruitt, “were central during the presidential campaign of 1800. Federalist newspapers and propaganda materials “branded French sympathizers as dangerous radicals, while the Democratic-Republicans accused the Federalists of wanting to re-establish the monarchy,” she observes.
Sound familiar?
Adams' regret after losing The threat of violence was real. troy smith remind “Rumors swirled of a Federalist plot to prevent Jefferson's inauguration, and the governors of Pennsylvania and Virginia prepared militias to resist such efforts. … (But) President Adams Following the results, he promised to undermine the Federalist program and deny multiple opportunities to interfere in the constitutional process.
But he did not transfer power with anything like the grace that Biden displayed. He “left Washington, D.C. under cover of darkness” and did not stay to attend Jefferson's inauguration. However, he did not challenge the election results or try to prevent Jefferson from seizing power.
Pruitt credits him with “setting an important precedent.” His resignation marked the first peaceful transfer of power between political opponents in the United States, and is now considered a hallmark of the country's democracy. ”
What Adams did was even more remarkable since then. there is nothing It may be required in the constitution or founding documents, or it may set forth the duties that an outgoing president owes to his successor. The only relevant provision is: “Article 2 provides that the term of office of the president shall be four years.'' The 20th Amendment to the Constitution states that the terms of office of the president and vice president “will end at noon on January 20th, and the terms of their successors will begin thereafter.”
From Adams in 1801 to Trump in 2020, power is transferred as the story progresses. It was always peaceful, Even if it's not always kind. Adams and Trump were not the only presidents to refuse to attend their successor's inauguration. The same goes for John Quincy Adams, who did not participate.andrew jacksonFirst established in 1829, andrew johnsonAlthough he did not attend the inauguration ceremony,Ulysses S. GrantHe was appointed as his successor in 1869.
More than that, the peaceful transfer of power is important no matter how close the outcome, no matter how bitter the campaign, no matter how apocalyptic the predictions of the losing side, or how Losers will be losers, no matter how much personal animosity they may feel. Put on your big kid pants and give me back the keys to the White House..
as the washington post I'll tell you that “For more than a century, defeated candidates have swallowed their raw emotions, publicly acknowledged defeat, and celebrated the winners. This is a tangible step in the process of national healing.”
But that account ignores the turmoil that has accompanied transfers of power in many places and at many times since the founding of America's constitutional republic. Only by narrowing down what counts as a “transition” and ignoring the acts of violence that have served as a means to remove some presidents can we tell a comforting story of a peaceful transition of power.
Remember, there were 4 out of 45 people who held that position. Term terms were shortened and power shifted. To the successor by an assassin's bullet. In some cases, the person who became president led the country in a radically different direction than the person who replaced him, and thus may even have come from a rival faction.
It is exemplified by the first “non-peaceful transfer of power” that occurred in April 1865, when President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated and succeeded by Vice President Andrew Johnson. And Lincoln himself ascended to the presidency in a “peaceful manner” if we ignore that his election led to the secession of Southern states and contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War.
At the state level, There are many examples of governors like Trump who tried to stay in power.By claiming that the election they lost was fraudulent or unfair in some way.
This more complicated history is a reminder that Americans should not take peaceful removal for granted just because of what President Trump did in 2020. Unfortunately, there is a lot of precedent for his refusal to relinquish power without a fight or violence.
“By undermining domestic tranquility, by refusing to 'take care that the laws be faithfully executed' (as required by Article II), and by calling into question our continued existence as a republic,” the law professor said. John Grieve argues that“The president's refusal to recognize and respect the election results constitutes a grave violation of the Constitution's implied covenants of good faith and fair dealing.”
This fact also makes Mr. Biden's commitment to a peaceful transfer of power and his generosity toward the next president all the more remarkable and important.
austin surrattWilliam Nelson Cromwell is a professor of law and political science at Amherst College. His views do not necessarily reflect those of Amherst College.
