An inauguration is a ceremony of formal investiture whereby an inividual assumes an office or position of authority or power. The term is usually used in reference to a politician's assumption of the duties of head of state or head of government (e.g. the President's inauguration). An "inaugural address" is the presidential speech given at this ceremony. Political inaugurations often have lavish ceremonies, in which the politician publicly takes his or her oath of office in front of a large crowd of spectators. The term inauguration may also refer to a formal beginning or introduction (e.g. the inauguration of a new Canada–United States border crossing).