The inauguration of President Biden took place without his predecessor and the usual throngs of supporters, who were symbolically replaced by 200,000 flags and literally by 26,000 National Guard troops meant to thwart any further violence. Writing in the Washington Post, columnist Max Boot suggested that Joe Biden’s inaugural address was a “return to normalcy”. Of course, it all depends on what is meant by “normalcy.”
The inaugural address that normally follows the presidential oath plays a crucial function in the ritual transfer of power in the United States. As authors Karlyn Kohrs Campbell and Kathleen Hall Jamieson have shown, the function of a good inaugural speech is twofold: first, to unify the people after the political divisions of a difficult campaign and second, to remind the citizens of their identity as a people, of their shared history and common destiny – in other words, why the nation is relevant.
The strain is experienced by others around an individual through his/her actions. For example, if you introduce your boyfriend/ girlfriend to your parents, they may have a vicarious experience of marriage.
