John Adams once stated, “I am vice president. In this I am nothing, but i may be everything.” From its conception, the Vice President of the United States was a position of little relevance. However, over the course of the nation’s history, the vice presidency evolved from a position of irrelevance to one of power. No longer does the vice president operate in obscurity and possess little governing ability. The position’s transformation was not an instant one; mind you the position has been in existence for nearly two and a half centuries. The position of vice president can be seen as a stepping stone to the presidency. After all, when most people think of the vice president, they think, “Oh, he becomes the president when the incumbent …show more content…
Amendment XII, ratified in 1804, took care of the issue of the election of the President and Vice President. According to the amendment, “The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President … they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President …” Double balloting still remained in effect, but electors now had to specify who they were casting their vote for. Other than being seen as a “president-in-waiting”, the Vice President has a few duties outlined in the Constitution. Article II, Section 1, Clause 6 of the Constitution outlines what will take place in the event of the President no longer being able to fulfill the duties of his office. “In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President …” The other constitutional duty, outlined in Article I, Section 3, Clause 4, places the Vice President as the President of the U.S. Senate, having no vote in the Senate, unless it is to break a tie. Formerly, the vice president oversaw Senate proceedings, but that is rarely the case, especially with modern vice presidents. The President pro tempore is who presides over day to day Senate proceedings. In addition to those duties, the vice president also presides over the counting and
The 12th Amendment changed the rules of the electoral process by having electors make separate votes for president and vice president. It goes on to say that if no candidate wins a majority of electoral votes, the House of Representatives would select a president from the top three candidates. The Amendment also stipulates that the Senate would choose a vice-president from the top two candidates in the event of a tie for that office. This second design of the Electoral College provides for the workings of a two-party system in America and is still in effect today.
The main result of the election of 1800 was the peaceful transition of political power and the tie between the two democratic-republican candidates, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr with seventy-three votes each. The decision was then to be made by the House of Representatives. Due to Alexander Hamilton's help and persuasion by choosing Thomas Jefferson as the lesser of two evils, the House of Representatives elected Thomas Jefferson as president and Aaron Burr as vice president. As a result of the 1800 election, the Congress and the states passed the Twelfth Amendment in 1804 separating the ballots for the president and for the vice president to prevent the same crisis in the future.
John Adams was the first Vice President, sitting under George Washington. His first big step as President was creating the US Navy, a branch of military that still exists currently. John and other
At just 39 years old, Richard Nixon became Vice-President under the Eisenhower administration in 1953 (Gellman 413). He was almost removed from Eisenhower’s campaign due to allegations of a slush fund he started to help pay for campaigning expenses (Drew 122). He ended up saving his candidacy by going on national television and appealing the mass viewers.
There is a laundry list of other roles the American President has including; Chief Diplomate, Chief Legislator, Head of Party, Chief Economist, Chief Citizen, Chief Executive, and Chief Administrator. The position of Head of State is more structural-like but being Commander-in-Chief and the Chief Diplomat are institutional and Constitutionally elucidated, Art. II, § 2, cl. 1 and cl. 2 respectively. Conversely, the delivery of the State of the Union address is as Chief Citizen is more procedural like.
The Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides the procedure for electing the President and Vice President, only one vote for the president and a different vote for the vice president, instead of voting for two presidents and the one with the least amount of votes be made the vice president. . (Kimberling)
The president is constantly looking toward the state of nation’s defense. All major decisions and strategies are his to make alone. Likewise, the president is the nation's number 1 political boss. People look to the president as the leader for public opinion. Even though the president seems like he couldn’t take on many other roles, he is also the Chief of State, he is the leader of the rituals of the American Democracy.
The vice president is chosen by the president will support the president. The vice president is also to offer advice to the president and attends his or her duties should the president be absent or impeached.
The Vice President of the United States fills in as President of the Senate and may make the unequivocal choice in case of a tie in the Senate.
A president’s job is to keep their citizens safe and protect them from potential harm. Many presidents have ran into trouble while trying to defend their country.
The Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution is made of 4 different sections. The first section explains what occurs if the president is removed from office or if they resign or worst die during their term. The second section basically lets one know how the vice presidency is filled if vacant. The President nominates someone, and the majority vote of both House of Congress makes the final decision. The third section states that if the president is disabled he must submit a written declaration stating that he is unable to perform his responsibility to the president pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The vice president then holds the role of the acting president until the president can return
Our nation began in 1776 with the first elected president as George Washington. Since then we have had forty-two other leaders take on the role of being the president of the United States of America. Every four years we elect a new president and each president that is elected can run again and serve up to two terms as a total of eight years. The President of the United States is considered one of the world's most powerful people, leading the world's only contemporary superpower. The role includes being the commander-in-chief of the world's most expensive military and leading the nation with the largest economy. The office of the president holds significant hard and soft power both in the United States and abroad. The power includes execution of federal law, alongside
Johns Adams, the first vice president of the United States and the second president of the U.S.A., was a prominent political figure during the beginning of the United States of America and did a lot to build the country to what it is today. John Adams has had more impact on American society and culture than any other person in history by being involved in the creation of the American government, saving America from crisis multiple times, and his involvement in foreign affairs. John Adams had important roles as a founding father of the United States. He was responsible of writing the Massachusetts Constitution, which is the oldest Constitution in America still in effect. The Massachusetts Constitution served as a model for the United States
The President of the United States is often considered the most powerful elected official in the world. The President leads a nation of great wealth and military strength. Presidents have often provided decisive leadership in times of crisis, and they have shaped many important events in history. The President has many roles and performs many duties. As chief executive, the President makes sure that federal laws are enforced. As commander in chief of the nation's armed forces, the President is responsible for national defense. As foreign policy director, the President determines United States relation with other nations. As legislative leader, the President recommends new laws and works to win their passage. As
is the job of the vice president to take over as president. I am sure