The History of Presidential Inaugurations

Program Description:  Although the US constitution dedicates relatively little space to the executive branch, it is specific about the Oath a president must take. Over the last two centuries, the inaugural ceremony accompanying the formal oath of office has varied quite a lot. From people who were inebriated and rambled through the speech, to people who spoke so long they became ill; I will discuss some interesting and politically important inaugurations. In addition, I will discuss who typically gets an invitation to inaugurations and how this impacts Idahoans.

Bio:  Matthew Miles is a professor of Political Science at BYU-Idaho where he teaches undergraduate courses on the Executive Branch and a longtime member of the Presidents and Executive Politics section of the American Political Science Association. He has authored a book and more than a dozen peer-reviewed articles. His research on the Executive Branch has been published in Public Administration Review,  Policy Studies Journal, The International Journal of Press/Politics, and Presidential Studies Quarterly.