before president james buchanont was like during the period of time between buchanon and lincoln. lincoln's electedity and then within the matter of weeks after that, seven states suscede from the union. franklin roosevelt waited to take the reigns from hoover, and the country was on life support. >> it's hard to imagine. franklin roosevelt really did not know in january and february and march whether the government could collapse before he even had a chance to put his own programs in to use. >> hoover had suffered a defeat. >> what was that ride to the capitol like on inauguration day in 1933? >> from all accounts the ride tweeover a roosevelt was frosty as they say. >> but hoover did ride in the car? >> absolutely. so, it may not have been, you know, the most friendly of transitions. but they were trying to work together. >> reporter: and that ride is just one of the traditions we have come to expect during the transition season. those rituals, few of them are mandated by law. they are not in the constitution. you know, ancongratulatory call >> absolutely theses are traditions t