[8] Successful transitions during tense political moments such as the Velvet Revolution in Armenia in 2018 are interpreted as signs of improved governance within the country, an important milestone in democratization and functioning civil society.
[9] Alternately, the lack of peaceful transfers of power, such as in elections in Georgia from 1995 to 2008 in which the only transition between presidents was via the 2003 Rose Revolution, may harm the international reputation of the country as a "democracy".
[11] The first peaceful transition of power between civilians in Nigeria took place in 2007, although the outgoing and incoming presidents were of the same party and the preceding election was characterized by widespread irregularities.
As of 2022[update], starting in 1978, the vice presidents always did this symbolic transfer when there was no vacancy in the office except in 2004, when Hamzah Haz did not attend the ceremony, and in 2009, when Jusuf Kalla was already seated on the furthest right side so no switch was needed.
With Gore making especially sure that the results of the elections were respected and ensured Bush would be accepted as President by his supporters despite the various continuous legal battles.
During the 2020 presidential election, experts described a risk of democratic backsliding in the U.S.,[23][24] as incumbent Republican President Donald Trump publicly refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he lost his reelection bid.
[27] Trump stated on 15 October 2020 that he would accept a peaceful transfer (after a long period of ambiguous answers to the question) while still falsely alleging fraud and waging a legal battle to attempt to overturn the election results.
[36] Among those who stood firm against Trump's attempts to subvert the 2020 election results were Vice President Mike Pence, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and the courts.
Pence, despite intense pressure from Trump to reject the Electoral College results, upheld his constitutional duty by certifying Biden’s victory.
Across the country, judges dismissed numerous baseless lawsuits aimed at overturning the results, reinforcing that the election was fair and legitimate.
On 6 January 2021, a pro-Trump mob, inflamed by the unsuccessful Republican nominee and outgoing president's false claims, attacked the Capitol in Washington, D.C., in a failed attempt to keep Trump in power.
[40] Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell noted that "if this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral.