What is the reason for the wait to inaugurate the president elect?

It used to be longer. FDR had to wait until March to take over from Hoover, and that was also a time of serious crisis. It was changed to January in 1937.

There is a tremendous amount for the transition team to do - something like 8000 positions to be filled, most if not all of which have to be vetted by the FBI. Getting the senior team in place takes time, altho' Obama has been creditably swift.

Even so I agree with you. The Bush administration has all but vanished and we are effectively leaderless. Maybe New Year eve would be the day. I believe the date is specified in the Constitution, so a change would take time.

It is tradition for the inauguration to be in January, because before, it took time to bring all the information and see who won. So they decided to have inauguration day and election day a few months apart. And they do need the time for a transition period. Remember, in a lot of parliamentary countries, after the inauguration takes place, the old leader and his staff have to leave. This moving takes quite a lot of time, and therefore in America, they decided that the new leader and his staff should be able to occupy the spaces immediately. Hence, in America currently, a transition is underway. Also in Australia, every prime minister since..... Well since a long time has been re-elected for a second term. So Kevin Rudd shouldn't be in a hurry to leave.

The inauguration used to be in March. About 60 years ago they amended the constitution to move it up to January. The date is specified in the constitution and cannot be changed except by amendment.

Basically, in the past it took a long time to manually count votes. They didn't have automatic machines like we do.

It is because the President-elect needs time to figure out and nominate his cabinet and his different advisers which takes time, also being the President takes a lot of training, seeing as they will be viewed by the public constantly. He (or she) needs to decide what plans they will use while in office and the laws they want to start out with. So it is just courtesy to allow them time to pick the best candidates to help them in their four years.

I think when I took American Gov. they stated the time that it tkes to Inaugurate the new elect pres. he/sheis showed how everything works and they choose their staff. Obama has already decleared like one week after beign elected that he was going to get our troops out of Iraq in 16 months, and a choosen a very expeirenced Cabent to address our Countries economical crisis.

It's in the constitution and unless there's some kind of payoff involved, no member of Congress is going to initiate an amendment to change that no matter how logical and useful it may be.

i think of there replaced into some style of constitutional problem by way of fact he had to hold 2 places of work - bear in mind he had to be President choose and vp choose. won't be able to have one guy in 2 jobs!!!

the wait because he has to pick his securit team werite an inagrial speach and all that stuff