Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution

Amendment XX (the Twentieth Amendment) of the United States Constitution, also called The Lame Duck Amendment, establishes some details of presidential succession and of the beginning and ending of the terms of elected federal officials.

Related Topics:
United States Constitution - Presidential

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The purpose of the amendment was to reduce the amount of time between the election of the President and Congress and the beginning of their terms. Under the Constitution as originally adopted, the terms of the President and the Congress began on March 4th, four months after the elections were held. While this lapse was a practical necessity during the 19th century, at which time a newly elected official might need several months to put his affairs in order and then undertake the arduous journey from his home to the national capital, it had the effect of impeding the functioning of government in the post industrial age.

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In addition, under Article One as originally adopted, Congress was required to convene once each year in December. That resulted in a mandatory "lame-duck" session following each election, at which (typically) little was accomplished.

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The amendment was ratified on January 23, 1933 but, because of Section 5, it did not affect the dates for the meeting of Congress or the inauguration of the new President in 1933. The amendment states:

Related Topics:
January 23 - 1933

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