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And just like that, in the course of 35 words, a momentous transfer of power occurs from one man to another. Toss out partisan loyalties and the multifaceted dramas between Nov. 8 and Jan. 20, and the process itself is remarkable to any observer. The resources expended to ensure its integrity and honor its gravity are breathtaking. Hundreds of thousands physically attend. Millions more watch on television and online.

I vaguely remember a spirited discussion years ago in a college poli-sci class about what gives legitimacy to any government — with its laws, asserted powers, and office holders. What, exactly, contrasts a state trooper from a mall cop? (All due respect to the Paul Blarts out there.) It’s that philosophical struggle for many trying to determine the exact nature of a faded document protected under heavy security in a dimly lit cavernous room at the National Archives in the nation’s capital. Does the parchment have sparkly magic? Is it protected by The Force? Is there some mystical nature to the Constitution that makes it — and, this week, the inauguration of Donald Trump — the locus of political power?