Omar Bennett
An oath of office is a vow or affirmation a person takes before assuming the duties of a position, usually in a government or religious body. The oath is often administered at an inauguration or other ceremonies connected with the taking up of office. In the United States, the President, Vice President, Senators, and Representatives all take an oath of office. The President and Vice President's oath is specified in the US Constitution, while the Senators' and Representatives' oath is not.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| When is the oath of office administered? | At the start of each new Congress, in January of every odd-numbered year. |
| Who takes the oath of office? | The entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate. |
| Who administers the oath? | The Speaker of the House of Representatives or the presiding officer in an open session of the Senate. |
| What is the oath of office for members of Congress? | "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States." |
| What is the oath of office for the President of the United States? | "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." |
| What is the oath of office for the Vice President of the United States? | "I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same: that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter." |
| Is there an oath of allegiance? | Yes, in some countries like Australia and Bangladesh, there is a separate oath of allegiance that is taken in addition to the oath of office. |
| Is the oath of office mentioned in the Constitution? | The oath of office is not explicitly mentioned in the US Constitution, but it is mentioned in the Australian Constitution. |
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What You'll Learn
The oath of office is an affirmation of allegiance to the Constitution
An oath of office is a vow or affirmation that a person makes when they take up a position in government, a religious body, or another organization. The oath is usually administered at an inauguration or another ceremony connected with the assumption of office.
In the United States, the oath of office is an affirmation of allegiance to the Constitution. The Constitution does not specify what the swearing-in ceremony must include, but it does outline the oath that must be taken before assuming office. For the President, this is:
> "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
The Vice President takes a similar oath:
> "I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same: that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter."
The oath of office for members of Congress is similar, and includes the line:
> "...that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same;..."
The oath of office has been revised over time, notably during the Civil War, when concerns about traitors led to the addition of the "Ironclad Test Oath." This required civilian and military officials to swear they had never aided enemies of the United States.
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The US President and Vice President take the oath of office
An oath of office is a vow or affirmation that a person makes before assuming the duties of a government position. In the United States, the President and Vice President are required to take an oath of office, as outlined in the Constitution.
The US President's Oath of Office
The US President's oath of office, as outlined in Article II, Section I of the US Constitution, is as follows:
> "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
The President-elect is usually sworn in by the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, but this is not always the case. For example, Lyndon Johnson was sworn in by a US District Judge, and Calvin Coolidge was sworn in by his father, who was a notary public and justice of the peace.
The President may choose to swear the oath using an oath book, typically a religious scripture such as the Bible, or they may choose not to use a book at all.
The US Vice President's Oath of Office
The US Vice President also takes an oath of office, which is administered immediately before the President's. The Vice President's oath may be administered by the outgoing Vice President, a member of Congress, or another government official, such as a justice of the Supreme Court. The oath has been the same since 1884 and is as follows:
> "I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same: that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter."
History of the Oath of Office
The original oath for members of Congress, including the President, specified that they "shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation to support this Constitution." In 1789, the First Congress adopted a simple oath: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States."
Over time, the oath has been revised, particularly during the Civil War, when concerns about shifting loyalties and traitors arose. President Abraham Lincoln ordered all federal civilian employees within the executive branch to take an expanded oath, and Congress added a new section, known as the "Ironclad Test Oath," requiring civilian and military officials to swear they had never aided enemies of the United States.
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Senators and Representatives also take the oath
The oath of office is an affirmation or vow taken by an individual before they assume the duties of a government position. The oath is often administered at an inauguration or other official ceremonies. In the United States, the President, Vice President, Senators, and Representatives all take oaths of office.
The U.S. Constitution does not specify the exact wording of the swearing-in ceremony, but it does require an oath or affirmation to be taken. The current oath for the President of the United States is:
> "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
The Vice President's oath is similar but refers to the duties of the Vice Presidency:
> "I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same: that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter."
Senators and Representatives also take an oath of office. The current oath is:
> "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."
This oath is taken by all members of the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate at the start of each new Congress, in January of every odd-numbered year. The oath is administered by the Speaker of the House for Representatives and by the presiding officer for Senators.
The oath for Senators and Representatives has evolved over time. The original oath, adopted in 1789, was a simple vow to support the Constitution:
> "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States."
During the Civil War, the oath was revised to address concerns about traitors and shifting loyalties. This led to the addition of the "Ironclad Test Oath," which required civilian and military officials to swear they had never aided or encouraged "persons engaged in armed hostility" against the United States. While this oath was not initially required of Congress members, many took it voluntarily, and in 1864, a resolution was passed to make it mandatory for Senators.
The "Ironclad Test Oath" caused controversy, as it was seen as a harsh measure, particularly for those who had been loyal to the Union. In 1868, a statute was passed allowing former Confederates to take only the second section of the oath, while loyal Unionists were still required to take the harsh first section. This double standard led to complaints, and eventually, in 1884, the first section of the "Ironclad Test Oath" was repealed, leaving the affirmation of constitutional allegiance that is still in use today.
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The oath is sworn on a Bible or book of law
The Bible and books of law have been used in swearing oaths for centuries. The Bible, for instance, has been used in courts of law, where witnesses are required to place their hands on it and swear to give truthful testimonies. In ancient Rome, oaths were sworn upon Iuppiter Lapis or the Jupiter Stone located in the Temple of Jupiter.
In the US, the President-elect usually takes the oath of office on a Bible. George Washington, for instance, swore his oath on a Bible. John Quincy Adams, on the other hand, used a book of law, while Teddy Roosevelt did not use any book.
The oath taken by the President-elect is:
> I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
The Vice President also takes an oath of office, which is administered immediately before the President's. The oath is as follows:
> I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same: that I take this obligation freely, without any military reservation or purpose of evasion, and I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter.
The oath of office is also taken by the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate at the start of each new Congress in January of every odd-numbered year. The current oath is:
> I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.
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The oath was revised during the Civil War
The oath of office is a swearing-in ceremony that requires an official to swear an allegiance to uphold the Constitution. While the Constitution contains an oath of office for the president, it does not specify what the swearing-in must include. The oath was revised during the Civil War, a time of uncertain and shifting loyalties.
In April 1861, President Abraham Lincoln ordered all federal civilian employees within the executive branch to take an expanded oath. This was due to concerns about traitors in Congress. That summer, Congress passed legislation requiring executive branch employees to take the expanded oath in support of the Union.
In July 1862, Congress added a new section to the oath, which became known as the "Ironclad Test Oath." The Test Oath required civilian and military officials to swear or affirm that they had never aided or encouraged “persons engaged in armed hostility” against the United States. The Senate adopted a resolution in January 1864 to require all senators to take the Test Oath, and many did so voluntarily.
Following the Civil War, Congress permitted some former Confederates to take only the second section of the 1862 oath. Loyal Unionists were required to take the Test Oath's harsh first section, leading to complaints of a double standard. In 1884, the first section of the Test Oath was repealed, leaving today's affirmation of constitutional allegiance.
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Frequently asked questions
An oath of office is a vow or affirmation a person takes before assuming the duties of an office, usually a position in government.
The President of the United States takes the following oath of office:
> I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
The Vice President of the United States takes the following oath of office:
> I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same: that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter.
Members of Congress take the following oath of office:
> I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.
While the US Constitution does require certain officials, including the President, to take an oath of office, it does not specify the wording of the oath. The specific wording of the oath is determined by tradition and has evolved over time.
