According to Study.com, the term lame duck describes outgoing political officials with minimal power and influence compared to when they were first elected. The lame-duck politician’s days are numbered, so their agenda becomes less critical than their legacy. Even if a lame-duck president or member of Congress manages to pass new legislation, the incoming lawmakers might reverse any laws passed by the old administration. For example, when Bill Clinton was finishing his second term in 2000-2001, he kept himself on the down-low and didn’t make many legislative proposals. Annuitygator.com reported that when Clinton was running out the clock, the stock market dropped by 41%. When George Bush ended his second term in August 2008, the market dropped by 48.4%.
When Congress convenes between an election in November and the inauguration of the new Congress, it’s a lame-duck session. Before the Twentieth Amendment was enacted in 1933, Congress would convene during odd-numbered years in December. This system allowed post-election legislators to pass new laws for over a year. The Twentieth Amendment set the new Congress convening date for January 3 of odd-numbered years. The 1933 amendment decreased the lame duck period to two months. Since the Twentieth Amendment, Congress meets in lame-duck sessions solely to deal with unfinished business or emergencies.
