Every four years, Americans witness one of the defining rituals of public life: the inauguration of a president.
In that moment, the president places a hand on the Bible and swears not merely to support the Constitution, but to “preserve, protect, and defend” it. That language is striking, and perhaps more revealing than we often realize. Why does the Constitution single out the president in this way? What does that oath tell us about the office itself? And does it help explain why Americans so often judge presidents by how they respond to crisis?
From George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and Covid, the presidency has often been shaped not simply by law or policy, but by the expectation that the president will preserve order when the nation feels under pressure.
Dr. Benjamin Kleinerman is the R.W. Morrison Professor of Political Science at Baylor University and a visiting professor at UT Austin. He has written extensively on executive power, the presidency, and American political thought. He is also here in Springfield to deliver a talk titled “The Enduring Principles of the Declaration.” His forthcoming book, The Crisis Presidency (University of Kansas Press) explores the presidency, constitutional order, and the politics of crisis.
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