Prologue, The Oaths, Part One, Chapter 1, The Politician's Path Summary and Analysis

Author Jeffrey Toobin opens with a brief history of the Presidential Oath of Office for the United States Presidency. The oath is specified in the U.S. Constitution, in Article II, Section 1. It is the only oath specified in the constitution. However, alternatively, the administration of the presidential oath, during inaugural ceremonies evolved haphazardly. In 1797, Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth administered the oath for the first time, but sometimes future Chief Justices did not follow up. Calvin Coolidge took the oath from his father, a notary public. The wording has also evolved over time.

So when Chief Justice Roberts misstated the oath during Barack Obama's inauguration, questions about the legality of Obama's installation as president arose. David Barron, a professor at Harvard Law School, began to...