The Oath of Office includes a clause indicating the obligation is taken freely and that duties will be discharged well and faithfully. Which line completes this phrase?

The Oath of Office includes a clause indicating the obligation is taken freely and that duties will be discharged well and faithfully. Which line completes this phrase?

• A. I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me God (optional).
• B. I will defend the Constitution against all enemies.
• C. I will bear true faith and allegiance to the President.
• D. I will obey the orders of the President.

Answer: (A)

This line shows the personal, voluntary pledge to perform the duties of the office faithfully. The exact completion is: “I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me God.” It ties together the idea of choosing to serve without reservation with a commitment to carry out the responsibilities faithfully, which is the heart of taking the oath. Context helps: this wording is part of the oath taken by federal civil officers, not the President’s oath, and the phrase “So help me God” is optional. The other options describe different assurances (defending the Constitution, allegiance to the President, obeying the President’s orders) that aren’t the closing line of this oath, so they don’t fit as the completion.

This line shows the personal, voluntary pledge to perform the duties of the office faithfully. The exact completion is: “I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me God.” It ties together the idea of choosing to serve without reservation with a commitment to carry out the responsibilities faithfully, which is the heart of taking the oath.

Context helps: this wording is part of the oath taken by federal civil officers, not the President’s oath, and the phrase “So help me God” is optional. The other options describe different assurances (defending the Constitution, allegiance to the President, obeying the President’s orders) that aren’t the closing line of this oath, so they don’t fit as the completion.