Amendment 20

Passed by Congress March 2, 1932. Ratified January 23, 1933.

SECTION. 1.
The terms of the President and the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.

SECTION. 2.
 The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.

SECTION. 3.
 If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.

SECTION. 4. 
The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them.

SECTION. 5. 
Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article.

SECTION. 6. 
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission.

Breakdown...

Amendment 20:

• Provides for succession plans if the newly elected president or vice president is unable to assume his or her position. 
• Gives Congress the power to pass legislation outlining a more detailed succession plan if the vice president is also not able to carry out the presidential duties until a new president and vice president are qualified.
• Changed presidents new term from March 4th to Jan 3rd.

lame duck syndrome:

An elected official whose time in an office or position will soon end,(where those who were not reelected had little power to push through their policies).

This is a humorous image depicting a "lame duck" president. I suppose the name does fit the bill seeing as how the president for the time before an election wouldn't really be doing anything productive.

This video explains the 20th Amendment and the lame duck issue. Many people are unaware of how the ratification of the 20th amendment helped in this lame duck issue with the time of basically the President having no power to push for new policies. I experienced this mindset and I'm sure anyone who has put their two weeks notice to their job has too. You know the end is near and you sort of slack off because you know their will not be harsh consequences for your actions.