Inaugural Address
An inaugural address is the speech a newly sworn-in President gives, setting out aims and tone for the term. Nothing in the Constitution requires it — the only constitutional duty is the oath of office — but every President since has delivered one, following the precedent George Washington set on April 30, 1789.
An inaugural address is the speech a newly sworn-in President gives, setting out aims and tone for the term. Nothing in the Constitution requires it — the only constitutional duty is the oath of office — but every President since has delivered one, following the precedent George Washington set on April 30, 1789.
Example: George Washington’s first inaugural address, delivered in New York on April 30, 1789, is preserved by the National Archives, which notes that although the Constitution did not require a speech, Washington presented the first one (archives.gov).
Common misconception: An inaugural address is not a policy plan or a legal document. Its commitments are political, not binding; whatever a President promises in it still requires Congress, agencies, and the courts to be carried out.
Sources: President George Washington's First Inaugural Speech (1789) | National Archives; Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies