Inaugurations reflect tensions within presidency

For all their happy pageantry — marching brass bands on parade, solemn invocations, evening gowns at the balls — our inaugurations expose some of the biggest tensions that define the American presidency.

Even as democratic systems spread, most countries adopted parliamentary systems where legislatures chose prime ministers to head their governments, often alongside a ceremonial head of state to hover above the partisan fray.

[...] the U.S. presidency falls somewhere between: A head of government that assumes office on behalf of a political party, yet is expected to be a unifying head of state for all Americans.

[...] instead of simply taking his oath of office, the only constitutionally mandated element of an inauguration, they turned Washington’s ascension to the presidency into a show — one that publicly reconciled the compound, if not contradictory, roles bestowed on America’s top post.

The result blended the trappings of European monarchs with heavy nods to the presidency’s democratic foundations.

Rumors spread of plots to prevent Lincoln from reaching the Capitol to ascend the presidency, so the president-elect disguised himself and took a night train through pro-slavery Baltimore to reach Washington on time.

Despite the drama, Lincoln used his first address to strike a conciliatory tone, telling Southerners, “We are not enemies, but friends.”

Even in the absence of a secessionist movement, partisanship can undercut aspirations for inaugurations to celebrate national unity.

[...] Hoover honored the tradition that, with rare exception (assassination, resignation, natural death, and a few 19th century cases of animosity), the outgoing president has always made some sort of symbolic show on inauguration day.