Oath of office facts for kids

Lyndon B. Johnson taking the presidential oath of office in 1963, after the assassination of John F. Kennedy

An oath of office is an oath a person gains a higher position, usually in government or within a religious body. There are other positions in which people are supposed to take oaths as well, like in the military. When someone makes an oath, they make a promise to follow certain rules and guidelines of the position that they are taking. Some oaths of office are a statement of loyalty to a constitution or other legal text, to a person or other office holder. Under the laws of a state it may be considered treason or a high crime to betray a sworn oath of office. Oaths of office can be a public ceremony, like in the United States with presidential inauguration, or private.

Images for kids

• 

  Dilma Rousseff takes the oath of office of the President of Brazil.

• 

  Li Keqiang publicly swore an oath to the Constitution upon formally taking office after he was appointed as the Premier in the 1st Session of the 13th National People's Congress.

• 

  Hassan Rouhani takes the oath of office as the President of Iran.

• 

  Second presidential inauguration of Sergio Mattarella.

• 

  Elisabeth Kopp's oath of office after her election at the Swiss Federal Council in 1984.