Lessons from America: should the UK consider US-style government transitions? If Joe Biden had won a general election in the UK rather than the US, he would have assumed office immediately and his administration would now be in its third month. But is such a swift transition of power a good thing? And is it effective from the point of view of the civil service? Geoffrey Lyons reports Donald Trump's inauguration as US president PA 20 Jan 2021 America’s system of government has faced unprecedented pressure since the presidential election in November. First, the coronavirus pandemic encouraged a switch to voting by mail, which elongated the counting of votes. Then, the outgoing president Donald Trump used his social media megaphone to spread misinformation about the election, which culminated in rioters invading the US Capitol in an effort to stop the Biden victory being certified. This effort failed, but not before four people had died after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the halls of Congress.