We have seen how in the UK there is a new Prime Minister and House of Commons the day after a (snap) general election, not two months like it is in the US, from Election day in November to Inauguration day in January. It may have been necessary in the US back in 1789 when travel was by horse, but this was true for the English parliament back then also. But the British (and other European countries) have adapted to modernity and get a new government quite quickly, but in the US we get two months of lame duck government.
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The executive branch of the US government is probably the largest and most complex organization on the planet. The scale of responsibility is immense – the outgoing administration is required by law to spend significant effort transitioning knowledge/expertise to the incoming administration during those months. The nation can’t afford to have the executive branch go through a 6 month lull while they are learning the ropes, so a transition time helps reduce that.
Also, the president gets to nominate thousands of political appointees across the executive branch to fill leadership positions. It takes time to find and vet that many people.
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