President-elect Donald Trump is set to take the presidential oath of office Friday. And, as with his campaign and the general election on Nov. 8, nobody knows quite what to expect.

It's a mystery as to what Trump might say when laying out the foundation of his term, or how the inauguration might presage his administration's strengths and weaknesses when it comes to Washington's never-ending power struggles.

What will be the keynote moments of the inauguration ceremonies?

[naviga:h3]Peaceful transition[/naviga:h3]

Michael Coulter, a professor of political science at Grove City College, said the inauguration's overarching theme, for him, continues to be the peaceful transition of power.

It's part of the spectacle that many, if not most, Americans take for granted, Coulter said. But some parts of the world don't have that luxury. Since 1960, governments in sub-Saharan Africa have held something like 200 elections, Coulter said. Less than 20 percent resulted in a peaceful transition.

By contrast, on Friday President Barack Obama, Trump, and virtually every elected federal official in the entire country will participate in the 2017 transition of power from Democrats to Republicans.

“It's one of the few really remarkable, bipartisan moments in the world,” Coulter said.

As for what people might expect from Trump himself on that day, Coulter admitted that he's not sure and doesn't even want to hazard a guess at the content of the president-elect's remarks.

“Trump's been so hard to predict, and he's also been willing to break certain conventions,” Coulter said. “This could be anywhere from a 15 minute speech to an hour long.”

There's also an exceedingly short list of formal Trump speeches to draw from when trying to pin down what tone Trump might try to set, or the policies or themes he might seek to highlight in his first remarks as president, Coulter said. He's interested in whether strong nationalist themes, such as the anti-immigration and anti-trade stances that defined Trump's campaign, will take center stage.

Brian Harward, a professor of constitutional law at Allegheny College in Meadville, says he's been thinking about the inauguration less as an event and more as a moment that could presage what's to come over the next four years.

“I don't think this inauguration is going to be a laundry list of proposals, because I don't think he has that,” Harward said. “He doesn't have the expertise to put those proposals together, so he's going to rely upon Congress to do that, and rely upon (Vice President-elect Mike) Pence to do that.”

[naviga:h3]By the numbers[/naviga:h3]

Trump's legacy is also likely to be shaped, at least initially, by his status as the least popular president-elect of the modern era, Harward said.

A Quinnipiac University poll published this week found that Trump's post-election bump, during which his favorability rating rose from 34 percent to 44 percent, has dropped back to 37 percent. A majority of Americans, 51 percent, now have an unfavorable view of him.

The poll also found dips in people's confidence that he would take the country in the right direction, help their personal financial situation and be a better leader than President Barack Obama.

[naviga:h3]On the issues[/naviga:h3]

How Trump handles central GOP issues, such as the promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, could end up defining not just his presidency, but the party's ability to govern cohesively in the run-up to 2018's mid-term elections.

“They (the GOP) are in a position of great influence, no doubt,” Harward said. “They control everything, but there are great costs that a governing party can incur because of that. It's easier to be cohesive in dissent than it is in governing.”

There are several different ways to take in Trump's formal ascension to the presidency, but the vast majority of those watching the ceremony will be doing so on television.

In 2013 some 20.6 million people tuned in to watch President Obama's second inauguration ceremony, according to Nielsen, which tracks viewership.

[naviga:h3]Local view[/naviga:h3]

Among this year's television audience will be social studies students at Butler High School, where teacher Martin Rubeo plans to show the ceremonies on television.

Rubeo's students were generally enthralled by this election cycle — and the teacher said he was pleasantly surprised by their ability to transcend the often bitter tone and polarization, and have constructive discussions about the policies and proposals being floated by both candidates.

If the inauguration does some of that for the entire country, Rubeo said, it will be a very good thing.

“I think there's an importance, especially with a contentious election like this, to bring the country together and move on with a new administration,” he said.

A much smaller number of people get to attend the ceremonies in person. It takes a ticket, and a bit of luck, to get into the event, and most of those who will attend this year still may not know they've made the cut.

Two weeks ago the congressional committee which plans the event announced at a news conference that it would release nearly 250,000 tickets to the public starting Jan. 9. The tickets were released to members of Congress, who in turn distribute them to their constituents.

Most legislators, including the office of Rep. Mike Kelly, R-3rd, hold lotteries to distribute the passes. Kelly's office uses a Web page where constituents can register for the district's ticket lottery.

Kelly's director of communications, Tom Qualtere, said the office was expecting to receive 196 tickets and would be calling those who win and notifying those who did not after the lottery is held.

If traveling to D.C. doesn't sound appealing, there is at least one local gala to celebrate Trump's inauguration.

The Butler County Republican Committee plans to host a charity gala to celebrate the occasion. The event, which is Friday evening in the Crystal Room at the Days Inn on Route 8, will feature food, dancing and a cash bar according to the committee's Web page.

Tickets are $100 and must be purchased in advance. Proceeds benefit the Butler County's Veterans In Need Fund, Grace Youth and Family Foundation, Life Choices Maternity House and The Fishbone House.