Menu Close

Articles on Inauguration

Displaying all articles

National youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman recites her inaugural poem during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool)

Poet Amanda Gorman’s take on love as legacy points to youth’s power to shape future generations

The first national youth poet laureate in the United States taps into the power of generativity, a concept that refers to creating a legacy that lasts beyond our lifetimes to shape future generations.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden review the troops from the east steps of the U.S. Capitol during the inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington. (David Tulis/Pool Photo via AP)

Biden’s peaceful inauguration doesn’t end America’s longtime coup addiction

From a global perspective, there was nothing unique about the recent raid on the U.S. Capitol. Both Republican and Democratic administrations have backed military coups around the world for decades.
Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Jill Biden holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 20, 2021. (Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP)

Biden presidency marks a return to normalcy after chaotic Trump years

After four tumultuous years under Donald Trump, Joe Biden becomes president and pledges to advocate for unity and healing.
Joe Biden has cast his campaign to “restore the soul of America” as an antidote to the turmoil of the Trump presidency. AP Photo/Scott Applewhite

Post-inauguration, restoring the soul of Biden’s America must be truly inclusive

Joe Biden has said he wants to create a cabinet that “looks like America.” But getting racialized people into powerful positions should be a means to tackle structural inequalities, not a goal in and of itself.
An important ceremony: the U.S. Capitol during President Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

Why do presidential inaugurations matter?

Formal ceremonies and rituals can trigger psychological signals that command people’s attention and strengthen the perceived importance of those moments.
Children wave American flags before an event with President-elect Joe Biden in November 2020, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris could transform American childhood

What happens over the next four years in Joe Biden/Kamala Harris administration could have a lasting impact on how childhood is understood and experienced in the United States and beyond.
President-elect Joe Biden introduces his foreign policy and national security team on Nov. 24 in Wilmington, Del. Mark Makela/Getty Images

Can Joe Biden win the transition?

In order to establish his legitimacy, President-elect Joe Biden has to accomplish several big tasks.
Donald Trump raises his fist after being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Carlos Barria/Reuters

What does the world expect of a Trump presidency?

The world is on edge as Donald Trump enters the White House.
President Obama has skilfully identified immigration as an issue that Republicans will struggle with. Shutterstock

Obama tightens the immigration knot on Republicans

For an American president, the first inaugural address sets the stage for the four years to follow. The second inaugural address, on the other hand, focuses on a much longer legacy. Barack Obama’s speech…
While Obama may have given little up-front attention to climate change, he’s assembled a top-notch team behind the scenes. EPA/Mark Wilson

Inauguration speech a real source of climate change hope

President Obama’s inauguration speech this week presented a source of real hope for all those concerned about global climate change. With eight sentences, he devoted more of his address to this “wicked…
Obama wove the story of gay rights into the language of America’s founding fathers during his inauguration speech. EPA/Shawn Thew

Obama inauguration speech: a historic moment for gay and lesbian equality

Much has been made of the fact President Obama became the first president to mention the word gay in an inaugural address. But the significance lies not in what he said but how he said it. In declaring…
President Obama delivered an ambitious inaugural address, but will struggle to get many of his progressive measures through a hostile Congress. EPA/Chip Somodevilla

Obama defends progressive vision in inauguration address

US President Barack Obama’s first inaugural address was largely forgettable. Recognising the large divide between the soaring optimism of his campaign rhetoric and the realities of an economy in the midst…

Top contributors

More