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115-531: On September 14, 1901, then- Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was at Lake Tear of the Clouds after returning from a hike to the Mount Marcy summit when he received a message informing him that President William McKinley , who had been shot two weeks earlier but was expected to survive, had taken a turn for the worse. Roosevelt hiked down the mountain to the closest stage station at Long Lake, New York . He then took

230-537: A cabinet of ministers or a privy council . As a result of the debates, the Constitution (Article   II, Section   1, Clause   1) vests "the executive power" in the president singly, and authorizes—but does not compel—the president (Article   II, Section   2, Clause   1) to "require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to

345-638: A 40-mile (64 km) midnight stage coach ride through the Adirondacks to the Adirondack Railway station at North Creek, where he discovered that McKinley had died. Roosevelt took the train to Buffalo, New York , where he was officially sworn in as President. The 40-mile route was later designated the Roosevelt–Marcy Trail. The route is in the Adirondack Park region, linking unique history to

460-540: A Cabinet. The Cabinet's role is inferred from the language of the Opinion Clause (Article   II, Section   2, Clause   1) of the Constitution for principal officers of departments to provide advice to the president. Additionally, the Twenty-fifth Amendment authorizes the vice president, together with a majority of the heads of the executive departments, to declare the president "unable to discharge

575-462: A candidate of national character. Additionally, to guard against the possibility that electors might strategically waste their second votes, it was specified that the first runner-up would become vice president. The resultant method of electing the president and vice president, spelled out in Article   II, Section   1, Clause   3 , allocated to each state a number of electors equal to

690-497: A case of succession. Debate records from the 1787 Constitutional Convention, along with various participants' later writings on the subject, show that the framers of the Constitution intended that the vice president would temporarily exercise the powers and duties of the office in the event of a president's death, disability or removal, but not actually become the president of the United States in their own right. This understanding

805-411: A challenge to party delegate selection rules to improve Reagan's chances. In the end, Ford narrowly won the presidential nomination and Reagan's selection of Schweiker became moot. In the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries, which pitted Hillary Clinton against Barack Obama , Clinton suggested a Clinton–Obama ticket with Obama in the vice president slot, which she said would be "unstoppable" against

920-602: A fire marshal failed to recognize him when Coolidge's Washington residence was evacuated. John Nance Garner , who served as vice president from 1933 to 1941 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt , claimed that the vice presidency "isn't worth a pitcher of warm piss". Harry Truman , who also served as vice president under Franklin Roosevelt, said the office was as "useful as a cow's fifth teat". Walter Bagehot remarked in The English Constitution that "[t]he framers of

1035-507: A majority, the Senate must meet to elect a vice president using a contingent election procedure in which senators, casting votes individually, choose between the two candidates who received the most electoral votes for vice president. For a candidate to win the contingent election, they must receive votes from an absolute majority of senators (currently 51 of 100). United States Cabinet [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Cabinet of

1150-400: A memo following the 1976 election, that his most important role would be as a "general adviser" to the president. Al Gore was an important adviser to President Bill Clinton on matters of foreign policy and the environment . Dick Cheney was widely regarded as one of President George W. Bush's closest confidants. Joe Biden asked President Barack Obama to let him always be the "last person in

1265-414: A particular constituency. The vice presidential candidate might also be chosen on the basis of traits the presidential candidate is perceived to lack, or on the basis of name recognition. To foster party unity, popular runners-up in the presidential nomination process are commonly considered. While this selection process may enhance the chances of success for a national ticket, in the past it often resulted in

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1380-490: A point to enter into an agreement with Vice President Richard Nixon that provided for Nixon to act on his behalf if Eisenhower became unable to provide effective presidential leadership (Nixon did informally assume some of the president's duties for several weeks on each of three occasions when Eisenhower was ill), discussions began in Congress about clearing up the Constitution's ambiguity on the subject. The present-day power of

1495-452: A result, the vice presidency originally had authority in only a few areas, although constitutional amendments have added or clarified some matters. Article I, Section 3, Clause 4 confers upon the vice president the title "President of the Senate", authorizing the vice president to preside over Senate meetings . In this capacity, the vice president is responsible for maintaining order and decorum, recognizing members to speak, and interpreting

1610-459: A second-tier politician, chosen either to appease the party's minority faction, satisfy party bosses, or to secure a key state. Factors playing a role in the selection included: geographic and ideological balance, widening a presidential candidate's appeal to voters from outside their regional base or wing of the party. Candidates from electoral-vote rich swing states were usually preferred. A 2016 study, which examined vice-presidential candidates over

1725-431: A vacancy in the office of vice president may be filled by presidential nomination and confirmation by a majority vote in both houses of Congress. The modern vice presidency is a position of significant power and is widely seen as an integral part of a president's administration. The presidential candidate selects the candidate for the vice presidency, as their running mate in the lead-up to the presidential election. While

1840-463: A violation of the Constitution, he adhered to his position. His view ultimately prevailed as both the Senate and House voted to acknowledge him as president. The "Tyler Precedent" that a vice president assumes the full title and role of president upon the death, resignation, or removal from office (via impeachment conviction) of their predecessor was codified through the Twenty-fifth Amendment in 1967. Altogether, nine vice presidents have succeeded to

1955-427: Is both head of state and head of government , and the ceremonial duties of the former position are often delegated to the vice president. The vice president will on occasion represent the president and the U.S. government at state funerals abroad, or at various events in the United States. This often is the most visible role of the vice president. The vice president may also meet with other heads of state at times when

2070-526: Is codified in Title ;5 of the United States Code . Twenty-one positions, including the heads of the executive departments and others, receiving Level   I pay are listed in 5 U.S.C.   § 5312 , and those forty-six positions on Level   II pay (including the number two positions of the executive departments) are listed in 5 U.S.C.   § 5313 . As of January 2023 ,

2185-551: Is entitled to a number of electors equal to the size of its total delegation in both houses of Congress. Additionally, the Twenty-third Amendment provides that the District of Columbia is entitled to the number it would have if it were a state, but in no case more than that of the least populous state. Currently, all states and D.C. select their electors based on a popular election held on Election Day . In all but two states,

2300-568: Is highly unusual due to the threat of dismissal. The president also has the authority to organize the Cabinet, such as instituting committees. Like all federal public officials, Cabinet members are also subject to impeachment by the House of Representatives and trial in the Senate for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors". The Constitution of the United States does not explicitly establish

2415-452: Is not from their own state. Prior to the 2000 election , both George W. Bush and Dick Cheney lived in and voted in Texas. To avoid creating a potential problem for Texas's electors, Cheney changed his residency back to Wyoming prior to the campaign. Often, the presidential nominee will name a vice presidential candidate who will bring geographic or ideological balance to the ticket or appeal to

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2530-453: Is offering vice presidency to the person who's in first place." Obama said the nomination process would have to be a choice between himself and Clinton, saying "I don't want anybody here thinking that 'Somehow, maybe I can get both ' ", by nominating Clinton and assuming he would be her running mate. Some suggested that it was a ploy by the Clinton campaign to denigrate Obama as less qualified for

2645-602: The Electoral College votes, and then, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, opens the sealed votes. The votes are counted during a joint session of Congress as prescribed by the Electoral Count Act and the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act . The former specifies that the president of the Senate presides over the joint session, and the latter clarifies

2760-534: The Executive Office of the President as members of the Cabinet. The Cabinet does not have any collective executive powers or functions of its own, and no votes need to be taken. There are 26 members: the vice president , 15 department heads, and 10 Cabinet-level officials, all except two of whom require Senate confirmation . During Cabinet meetings, the members sit in the order in which their respective department

2875-545: The US–Mexico border . The vice president is often an important liaison between the administration and Congress, especially in situations where the president has not previously served in Congress or served only briefly. Vice presidents are often selected as running mates in part due to their legislative relationships, notably including Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, Walter Mondale, Dick Cheney, Joe Biden, and Mike Pence among others. In recent years, Dick Cheney held weekly meetings in

2990-483: The United States Cabinet and United States National Security Council and thus plays a significant role in executive government and national security matters. As the vice president's role within the executive branch has expanded, the legislative branch role has contracted; for example, vice presidents now preside over the Senate only infrequently. The role of the vice presidency has changed dramatically since

3105-532: The United States Senate , but may not vote except to cast a tie-breaking vote . The vice president is indirectly elected at the same time as the president to a four-year term of office by the people of the United States through the Electoral College , but the electoral votes are cast separately for these two offices. Following the passage in 1967 of the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the US Constitution,

3220-476: The election of 1800 , Jefferson and fellow Democratic-Republican Aaron Burr each received 73 electoral votes. In the contingent election that followed, Jefferson finally won the presidency on the 36th ballot, leaving Burr the vice presidency. Afterward, the system was overhauled through the Twelfth Amendment in time to be used in the 1804 election . For much of its existence, the office of vice president

3335-522: The 1930s, with the Office of the Vice President being created in the executive branch in 1939, and has since grown much further. Due to its increase in power and prestige, the vice presidency is now often considered to be a stepping stone to the presidency. Since the 1970s, the vice president has been afforded an official residence at Number One Observatory Circle . The Constitution does not expressly assign

3450-431: The 19th century and first half of the 20th century, several presidents experienced periods of severe illness, physical disability or injury, some lasting for weeks or months. During these times, even though the nation needed effective presidential leadership, no vice president wanted to seem like a usurper, and so power was never transferred. After President Dwight D. Eisenhower openly addressed his health issues and made it

3565-440: The 20th century. By adopting primary voting, the field of candidates for vice president was expanded by both the increased quantity and quality of presidential candidates successful in some primaries, yet who ultimately failed to capture the presidential nomination at the convention. At the start of the 21st century, Dick Cheney (2001–2009) held a tremendous amount of power and frequently made policy decisions on his own, without

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3680-518: The 25th Amendment, were inaugurated in the House and Senate chambers respectively. At the 1940 Democratic National Convention , Roosevelt selected his own running mate, Henry Wallace , instead of leaving the nomination to the convention, when he wanted Garner replaced. He then gave Wallace major responsibilities during World War II . However, after numerous policy disputes between Wallace and other Roosevelt Administration and Democratic Party officials, he

3795-419: The Constitution does not specifically require it. However, whenever the president of the United States is on trial, the Constitution requires that the chief justice of the United States must preside. This stipulation was designed to avoid the possible conflict of interest in having the vice president preside over the trial for the removal of the one official standing between them and the presidency. In contrast,

3910-637: The Constitution expected that the vice -president would be elected by the Electoral College as the second wisest man in the country. The vice-presidentship being a sinecure, a second-rate man agreeable to the wire-pullers is always smuggled in. The chance of succession to the presidentship is too distant to be thought of." When the Whig Party asked Daniel Webster to run for the vice presidency on Zachary Taylor 's ticket, he replied "I do not propose to be buried until I am really dead and in my coffin." This

4025-414: The Constitution is silent about which federal official would preside were the vice president on trial by the Senate. No vice president has ever been impeached, thus leaving it unclear whether an impeached vice president could, as president of the Senate, preside at their own impeachment trial. The Twelfth Amendment provides that the vice president, in their capacity as the president of the Senate, receives

4140-512: The Duties of their respective Offices". The Constitution does not specify what the executive departments will be, how many there will be, or what their duties will be. George Washington , the first president of the United States, organized his principal officers into a Cabinet, and it has been part of the executive branch structure ever since. Washington's Cabinet consisted of five members: himself, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson , Secretary of

4255-533: The Executive branch. In addition, the vice presidential nominee has always been an official resident of a different state than the presidential nominee. While nothing in the Constitution prohibits a presidential candidate and his or her running mate being from the same state, the "inhabitant clause" of the Twelfth Amendment does mandate that every presidential elector must cast a ballot for at least one candidate who

4370-457: The House dais . Most recently, Vice President Mike Pence , on January 6, 2021, announced the election of his successor , Kamala Harris . Article II, Section 1, Clause 6 stipulates that the vice president takes over the "powers and duties" of the presidency in the event of a president's removal, death, resignation, or inability. Even so, it did not clearly state whether the vice president became president or simply acted as president in

4485-596: The Level   I annual pay was set at $ 235,600. The annual salary of the vice president is $ 235,300. The salary level was set by the Government Salary Reform Act of 1989, which provides an automatic cost of living adjustment for federal employees. The vice president receives the same pension as other members of Congress as the president of the Senate . The individuals listed below were nominated by President Joe Biden to form his Cabinet and were confirmed by

4600-652: The OEOB has since been designated the "Ceremonial Office of the Vice President" and is today used for formal events and press interviews. President Jimmy Carter was the first president to give his vice president, Walter Mondale , an office in the West Wing of the White House, which all vice presidents have since retained. Because of their function as president of the Senate, vice presidents still maintain offices and staff members on Capitol Hill. This change came about because Carter held

4715-598: The Roosevelt–Marcy Trail a byway. There are signs posted along the trail that display "Roosevelt–Marcy Trail". This article about a location in Hamilton County, New York is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a location in Warren County, New York is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Vice President of the United States The vice president of

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4830-493: The Senate's rules, practices, and precedent. With this position also comes the authority to cast a tie-breaking vote . In practice, the number of times vice presidents have exercised this right has varied greatly. Incumbent vice president Kamala Harris holds the record at 33 votes, followed by John C. Calhoun who had previously held the record at 31 votes; John Adams ranks third with 29. Nine vice presidents, most recently Joe Biden , did not cast any tie-breaking votes. As

4945-581: The Treasury Alexander Hamilton , Secretary of War Henry Knox and Attorney General Edmund Randolph . Vice President John Adams was not included in Washington's Cabinet because the position was initially regarded as a legislative officer (president of the Senate). Furthermore, until there was a vacancy in the presidency (which did not occur until the death of William Henry Harrison in 1841) it

5060-398: The United States ( VPOTUS ) is the second-highest ranking office in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government , after the president of the United States , and ranks first in the presidential line of succession . The vice president is also an officer in the legislative branch , as the president of the Senate . In this capacity, the vice president is empowered to preside over

5175-524: The United States is the principal official advisory body to the president of the United States . The Cabinet generally meets with the president in a room adjacent to the Oval Office in the West Wing of the White House. The president chairs the meetings but is not formally a member of the Cabinet. The vice president of the United States serves in the Cabinet by statute. The heads of departments, appointed by

5290-490: The United States Senate on the date noted or are serving as acting department heads by his request, pending the confirmation of his nominees. The Cabinet permanently includes the vice president and the heads of 15 executive departments, listed here according to their order of succession to the presidency . The speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate follow the vice president and precede

5405-518: The Vice President's Room at the United States Capitol , Joe Biden played a key role in bipartisan budget negotiations, and Mike Pence often met with House and Senate Republicans. Kamala Harris, the current vice president, presided over a 50–50 split Senate during the 117th Congress , which provided her with a key role in passing legislation. Under the American system of government the president

5520-448: The above qualifications is still disqualified from holding the office of vice president under the following conditions: The vice presidential candidates of the major national political parties are formally selected by each party's quadrennial nominating convention, following the selection of the party's presidential candidate. The official process is identical to the one by which the presidential candidates are chosen, with delegates placing

5635-611: The administration wishes to demonstrate concern or support but cannot send the president personally. Since 1949, the vice president has legally been a member of the National Security Council . Harry Truman , having not been told about any war or post-war plans during his vice presidency (notably the Manhattan Project ), recognized that upon assuming the presidency a vice president needed to be already informed on such issues. Modern vice presidents have also been included in

5750-414: The approval of the Senate or downgrade their Cabinet membership status (the vice president of the United States is elected not appointed and serves in the Cabinet by statute). Functionally, the president may give wide latitude to department heads and often it is legally possible for a Cabinet member to exercise certain powers over his or her own department against the president's wishes, but in practice this

5865-566: The balloting. Eagleton nevertheless received a majority of the votes and the nomination, though he later resigned from the ticket, resulting in Sargent Shriver from Maryland becoming McGovern's final running mate; both lost to the Nixon–Agnew ticket by a wide margin, carrying only Massachusetts and the District of Columbia . During times in a presidential election cycle before the identity of

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5980-602: The beginning of their term. An elected vice president does not require Senate confirmation, nor does the White House Chief of Staff , which is an appointed staff position of the Executive Office of the President. The heads of the executive departments and most other senior federal officers at cabinet or sub-cabinet level receive their salary under a fixed five-level pay plan known as the Executive Schedule , which

6095-425: The combined total of its Senate and House of Representatives membership. Each elector was allowed to vote for two people for president (rather than for both president and vice president), but could not differentiate between their first and second choice for the presidency. The person receiving the greatest number of votes (provided it was an absolute majority of the whole number of electors) would be president, while

6210-471: The common fate." Thomas R. Marshall , who served as vice president from 1913 to 1921 under President Woodrow Wilson , lamented: "Once there were two brothers. One ran away to sea; the other was elected Vice President of the United States. And nothing was heard of either of them again." His successor, Calvin Coolidge , was so obscure that Major League Baseball sent him free passes that misspelled his name, and

6325-490: The country." Vice President Charles Curtis regularly attended Cabinet meetings on the invitation of President Herbert Hoover . In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt raised the stature of the office by renewing the practice of inviting the vice president to cabinet meetings, which every president since has maintained. Roosevelt's first vice president, John Nance Garner , broke with him over the " court-packing " issue early in his second term, and became Roosevelt's leading critic. At

6440-515: The date of the congressional joint session, Humphrey was in Norway attending the funeral of Trygve Lie , the first elected Secretary-General of the United Nations . The president pro tempore, Richard Russell , presided in his absence. On February 8, 1933, Vice President Charles Curtis announced the election of his successor, House Speaker John Nance Garner , while Garner was seated next to him on

6555-422: The election, the electors convene in their respective states (and in Washington D.C.) to vote for president and, on a separate ballot, for vice president. The certified results are opened and counted during a joint session of Congress, held in the first week of January. A candidate who receives an absolute majority of electoral votes for vice president (currently 270 of 538) is declared the winner. If no candidate has

6670-404: The exact nature of the role varies in each administration, since the vice president's service in office is by election, the president cannot dismiss the vice president, and the personal working-relationship with the president varies, most modern vice presidents serve as a key presidential advisor, governing partner, and representative of the president. The vice president is also a statutory member of

6785-475: The first hundred years of the United States' existence no fewer than seven proposals to abolish the office of vice president were advanced. The first such constitutional amendment was presented by Samuel W. Dana in 1800; it was defeated by a vote of 27 to 85 in the United States House of Representatives . The second, introduced by United States Senator James Hillhouse in 1808, was also defeated. During

6900-497: The first woman in U.S. history to have presidential powers and duties. Sections 3 and 4 were added because there was ambiguity in the Article   II succession clause regarding a disabled president, including what constituted an " inability ", who determined the existence of an inability, and if a vice president became president for the rest of the presidential term in the case of an inability or became merely "acting president". During

7015-434: The framers of the Constitution anticipated that the vice president would not always be available to fulfill this responsibility, the Constitution provides that the Senate may elect a president pro tempore (or " president for a time ") in order to maintain the proper ordering of the legislative process. In practice, since the early 20th century, neither the president of the Senate nor the pro tempore regularly presides; instead,

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7130-514: The individual who received the next largest number of votes became vice president. If there were a tie for first or for second place, or if no one won a majority of votes, the president and vice president would be selected by means of contingent elections protocols stated in the clause. The first two vice presidents, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson , both of whom gained the office by virtue of being runners-up in presidential contests, presided regularly over Senate proceedings and did much to shape

7245-419: The knowledge of the president. This rapid growth led to Matthew Yglesias and Bruce Ackerman calling for the abolition of the vice presidency while 2008 's both vice presidential candidates, Sarah Palin and Joe Biden , said they would reduce the role to simply being an adviser to the president. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Although delegates to the constitutional convention approved establishing

7360-412: The late 1860s and 1870s, five additional amendments were proposed. One advocate, James Mitchell Ashley , opined that the office of vice president was "superfluous" and dangerous. Garret Hobart , the first vice president under William McKinley , was one of the very few vice presidents at this time who played an important role in the administration. A close confidant and adviser of the president, Hobart

7475-421: The mode of election of the executive but had not reached consensus. This all changed on September 4, when the committee recommended that the nation's chief executive be elected by an Electoral College , with each state having a number of presidential electors equal to the sum of that state's allocation of representatives and senators . Recognizing that loyalty to one's individual state outweighed loyalty to

7590-538: The names of candidates into nomination, followed by a ballot in which candidates must receive a majority to secure the party's nomination. In modern practice, the presidential nominee has considerable influence on the decision, and since the mid 20th century it became customary for that person to select a preferred running mate, who is then nominated and accepted by the convention. Prior to Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940, only two presidents—Andrew Jackson in 1832 and Abraham Lincoln in 1864 —had done so. In recent years, with

7705-416: The new federation, the Constitution's framers assumed individual electors would be inclined to choose a candidate from their own state (a so-called " favorite son " candidate) over one from another state. So they created the office of vice president and required the electors to vote for two candidates, at least one of whom must be from outside the elector's state, believing that the second vote would be cast for

7820-543: The office flows primarily from formal and informal delegations of authority from the president and Congress. These delegations can vary in significance; for example, the vice president is a statutory member of both the National Security Council and the board of regents of the Smithsonian Institution . The extent of the roles and functions of the vice president depend on the specific relationship between

7935-399: The office was created during the 1787 Constitutional Convention . Originally something of an afterthought, the vice presidency was considered an insignificant office for much of the nation's history, especially after the Twelfth Amendment meant that vice presidents were no longer the runners-up in the presidential election. The vice president's role began steadily growing in importance during

8050-462: The office, with both its executive and senatorial functions, not many understood the office, and so they gave the vice president few duties and little power. Only a few states had an analogous position. Among those that did, New York's constitution provided that "the lieutenant-governor shall, by virtue of his office, be president of the Senate, and, upon an equal division, have a casting voice in their decisions, but not vote on any other occasion". As

8165-406: The original Constitution. In the election of 1796 , Federalist candidate John Adams won the presidency, but his bitter rival, Democratic-Republican candidate Thomas Jefferson, came second and thus won the vice presidency. As a result, the president and vice president were from opposing parties; and Jefferson used the vice presidency to frustrate the president's policies. Then, four years later, in

8280-492: The party whose presidential–vice presidential ticket receives a plurality of popular votes in the state has its entire slate of elector nominees chosen as the state's electors. Maine and Nebraska deviate from this winner-take-all practice, awarding two electors to the statewide winner and one to the winner in each congressional district . On the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December, about six weeks after

8395-440: The period 1884-2012, found that vice presidential candidates increased their tickets’ performance in their home states by 2.67 percentage points on average. The vice president is elected indirectly by the voters of each state and the District of Columbia through the Electoral College, a body of electors formed every four years for the sole purpose of electing the president and vice president to concurrent four-year terms. Each state

8510-503: The powers and duties of his office". The heads of the executive departments are—if eligible—in the presidential line of succession . The highest-ranking cabinet member is the Secretary of State , but the most powerful member is the Secretary of Defense . The tradition of the Cabinet arose out of the debates at the 1787 Constitutional Convention regarding whether the president would exercise executive authority solely or collaboratively with

8625-454: The presidency (the state of Roosevelt's health had also been kept from Truman). At the time he said, "I felt like the moon, the stars and all the planets fell on me." Determined that no future vice president should be so uninformed upon unexpectedly becoming president, Truman made the vice president a member of the National Security Council , a participant in Cabinet meetings and a recipient of regular security briefings in 1949. The stature of

8740-605: The presidency intra-term. In addition to Tyler, they are Millard Fillmore , Andrew Johnson , Chester A. Arthur , Theodore Roosevelt , Calvin Coolidge , Harry S. Truman , Lyndon B. Johnson , and Gerald Ford . Four of them—Roosevelt, Coolidge, Truman, and Lyndon B. Johnson—were later elected to full terms of their own. Four sitting vice presidents have been elected president: John Adams in 1796 , Thomas Jefferson in 1800 , Martin Van Buren in 1836 , and George H. W. Bush in 1988 . Likewise, two former vice presidents have won

8855-509: The presidency, Richard Nixon in 1968 and Joe Biden in 2020 . Also, in recent decades four incumbent vice presidents lost a presidential election: Nixon in 1960 , Hubert Humphrey in 1968, Al Gore in 2000 , and Kamala Harris in 2024 . Additionally, former vice president Walter Mondale lost in 1984 . In total, 15 vice presidents have become president. Sections 3 and 4 of the Twenty-fifth Amendment provide for situations where

8970-442: The presidency. Later, when Obama became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, former president Jimmy Carter cautioned against Clinton being picked as the vice presidential nominee on the ticket, saying "I think it would be the worst mistake that could be made. That would just accumulate the negative aspects of both candidates", citing opinion polls showing 50% of US voters with a negative view of Hillary Clinton. Though

9085-556: The president and confirmed by the Senate , are members of the Cabinet, and acting department heads also participate in Cabinet meetings whether or not they have been officially nominated for Senate confirmation. Members of the Cabinet are political appointees and administratively function their departments. As appointed officers heading federal agencies, these Cabinet Secretaries are bureaucrats with full administrative control over their respective departments. The president may designate heads of other agencies and non-Senate-confirmed members of

9200-595: The president and the vice president, but often include tasks such as drafter and spokesperson for the administration's policies, adviser to the president, and being a symbol of American concern or support. The influence of the vice president in these roles depends almost entirely on the characteristics of the particular administration. Most recent vice presidents have been viewed as important presidential advisors. Walter Mondale, unlike his immediate predecessors, did not want specific responsibilities to be delegated to him. Mondale believed, as he wrote President-elect Jimmy Carter

9315-595: The president is temporarily or permanently unable to lead, such as if the president has a surgical procedure, becomes seriously ill or injured, or is otherwise unable to discharge the powers or duties of the presidency. Section   3 deals with self-declared incapacity, and Section   4 addresses incapacity declared by the joint action of the vice president and of a majority of the Cabinet. While Section   4 has never been invoked, Section   3 has been invoked on four occasions by three presidents, first in 1985. When invoked on November 19, 2021, Kamala Harris became

9430-542: The president or Congress. Nevertheless, many vice presidents have previously served in Congress, and are often tasked with helping to advance an administration's legislative priorities. Kamala Harris is the 49th and current vice president of the United States. A former senator, she is the first African American , first Asian American and first female occupant of the office. Harris is the highest ranking female official in United States history. She assumed office on January 20, 2021. No mention of an office of vice president

9545-498: The president pro tempore usually delegates the task to other Senate members. Rule XIX , which governs debate, does not authorize the vice president to participate in debate, and grants only to members of the Senate (and, upon appropriate notice, former presidents of the United States) the privilege of addressing the Senate, without granting a similar privilege to the sitting vice president. Thus, Time magazine wrote in 1925, during

9660-527: The president within their areas of responsibility without any specific delegation. Under 5 U.S.C.   § 3110 (also known as the 1967 Federal Anti-Nepotism statute), federal officials are prohibited from appointing their immediate family members to certain governmental positions, including those in the Cabinet. Under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 , an administration may appoint acting heads of department from employees of

9775-519: The president's daily intelligence briefings and frequently participate in meetings in the Situation Room with the president. To be constitutionally eligible to serve as the nation's vice president, a person must, according to the Twelfth Amendment, meet the eligibility requirements to become president (which are stated in Article   II, Section   1, Clause   5 ). Thus, to serve as vice president, an individual must: A person who meets

9890-422: The president, it is provided that "nothing herein shall be deemed to require express authorization in any case in which such an official would be presumed in law to have acted by authority or direction of the president." This pertains directly to the heads of the executive departments as each of their offices is created and specified by statutory law (hence the presumption) and thus gives them the authority to act for

10005-408: The presidential nomination usually being a foregone conclusion as the result of the primary process, the selection of a vice presidential candidate is often announced prior to the actual balloting for the presidential candidate, and sometimes before the beginning of the convention itself. The most recent presidential nominee not to name a vice presidential choice, leaving the matter up to the convention,

10120-525: The presidential nominee is clear, including cases where the presidential nomination is still in doubt as the convention approaches, campaigns for the two positions may become intertwined. In 1976, Ronald Reagan , who was trailing President Gerald Ford in the presidential delegate count, announced prior to the Republican National Convention that, if nominated, he would select Pennsylvania Senator Richard Schweiker as his running mate. Reagan

10235-446: The presumptive Republican nominee. Obama rejected the offer outright, saying, "I want everybody to be absolutely clear. I'm not running for vice president. I'm running for president of the United States of America," adding, "With all due respect. I won twice as many states as Senator Clinton. I've won more of the popular vote than Senator Clinton. I have more delegates than Senator Clinton. So, I don't know how somebody who's in second place

10350-431: The relevant department. These may be existing high-level career employees, from political appointees of the outgoing administration (for new administrations), or sometimes lower-level appointees of the administration. The heads of the executive departments and all other federal agency heads are nominated by the president and then presented to the Senate for confirmation or rejection by a simple majority (although before

10465-405: The role of Senate president. Several 19th-century vice presidents—such as George Dallas , Levi Morton , and Garret Hobart —followed their example and led effectively, while others were rarely present. The emergence of political parties and nationally coordinated election campaigns during the 1790s (which the Constitution's framers had not contemplated) quickly frustrated the election plan in

10580-439: The room" when a big decision was made; later, as president himself, Biden adopted this model with his own vice president, Kamala Harris. Recent vice presidents have been delegated authority by presidents to handle significant issue areas independently. Joe Biden (who has held the office of President and Vice President of the United States) has observed that the presidency is "too big anymore for any one man or woman". Dick Cheney

10695-558: The scenery. Today, the route is a tourist attraction, attracting many nature enthusiasts for its views of the Adirondack landscape. The trail begins in Long Lake at New York State Route 30 (NY 30), and follows NY 28N to its eastern end at NY 28 in North Creek . The trail is 40.2 miles (64.7 km) long. The New York State Department of Transportation has declared

10810-728: The solely ministerial role the president of the Senate serves in the process. The next such joint session will next take place following the 2024 presidential election , on January 6, 2025 (unless Congress sets a different date by law). In this capacity, four vice presidents have been able to announce their own election to the presidency: John Adams, in 1797, Thomas Jefferson , in 1801, Martin Van Buren , in 1837 and George H. W. Bush , in 1989. Conversely, John C. Breckinridge , in 1861, Richard Nixon , in 1961, and Al Gore , in 2001, all had to announce their opponent's election. In 1969, Vice President Hubert Humphrey would have done so as well, following his 1968 loss to Richard Nixon; however, on

10925-461: The start of that term, on January 20, 1937 , Garner had been the first vice president to be sworn into office on the Capitol steps in the same ceremony with the president, a tradition that continues. Prior to that time, vice presidents were traditionally inaugurated at a separate ceremony in the Senate chamber. Gerald Ford and Nelson Rockefeller , who were each appointed to the office under the terms of

11040-409: The tenure of Vice President Charles G. Dawes , "once in four years the Vice President can make a little speech, and then he is done. For four years he then has to sit in the seat of the silent, attending to speeches ponderous or otherwise, of deliberation or humor." In their capacity as president of the Senate, the vice president may preside over most impeachment trials of federal officers , although

11155-608: The use of a parliamentary-style Cabinet government. However, Lincoln rebuffed Seward. While Woodrow Wilson was a professor he also advocated a parliamentary-style Cabinet but after becoming president he did not implement it in his administration. In recent administrations, Cabinets have grown to include key White House staff in addition to department and various agency heads. President Ronald Reagan formed seven sub-cabinet councils to review many policy issues, and subsequent presidents have followed that practice. In 3 U.S.C.   § 302 with regard to delegation of authority by

11270-428: The use of the " nuclear option " during the 113th United States Congress , they could have been blocked by filibuster , requiring cloture to be invoked by 3 ⁄ 5 supermajority to further consideration). If approved, they receive their commission scroll , are sworn in , and begin their duties. When the Senate is not in session, the president can appoint acting heads of the executive departments, and do so at

11385-589: The vice presidency grew again while Richard Nixon was in office (1953–1961). He attracted the attention of the media and the Republican Party, when Dwight Eisenhower authorized him to preside at Cabinet meetings in his absence and to assume temporary control of the executive branch, which he did after Eisenhower suffered a heart attack on September 24, 1955, ileitis in June 1956, and a stroke in November 1957. Nixon

11500-405: The vice presidency to a branch of the government, causing a dispute among scholars about which branch the office belongs to (the executive, the legislative, both, or neither). The modern view of the vice president as an officer of the executive branch—one isolated almost entirely from the legislative branch—is due in large part to the assignment of executive authority to the vice president by either

11615-405: The vice president does not need to have any political experience, most major-party vice presidential nominees are current or former United States senators or representatives, with the occasional nominee being a current or former governor, a high-ranking former military officer (active military officers being prohibited under US law from holding political office), or a holder of a major position within

11730-408: The vice presidential nominee representing regions, constituencies, or ideologies at odds with those of the presidential candidate. As a result, vice presidents were often excluded from the policy-making process of the new administration. Many times their relationships with the president and his staff were aloof, non-existent, or even adversarial. Historically, the vice presidential nominee was usually

11845-430: The view that the office of the vice presidency had historically been a wasted asset and wished to have his vice president involved in the decision-making process. Carter pointedly considered, according to Joel Goldstein, the way Roosevelt treated Truman as "immoral". Another factor behind the rise in prestige of the vice presidency was the expanded use of presidential preference primaries for choosing party nominees during

11960-411: Was Democrat Adlai Stevenson in 1956. The convention chose Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver over Massachusetts Senator (and later president) John F. Kennedy . At the tumultuous 1972 Democratic convention, presidential nominee George McGovern selected Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton as his running mate, but numerous other candidates were either nominated from the floor or received votes during

12075-555: Was also visible on the world stage during his time in office. Until 1961, vice presidents had their offices on Capitol Hill , a formal office in the Capitol itself and a working office in the Russell Senate Office Building . Lyndon B. Johnson was the first vice president to also be given an office in the White House complex, in the Old Executive Office Building . The former Navy Secretary's office in

12190-696: Was called "Assistant President". However, until 1919, vice presidents were not included in meetings of the President's Cabinet . This precedent was broken by Woodrow Wilson when he asked Thomas R. Marshall to preside over Cabinet meetings while Wilson was in France negotiating the Treaty of Versailles . President Warren G. Harding also invited Calvin Coolidge, to meetings. The next vice president, Charles G. Dawes , did not seek to attend Cabinet meetings under President Coolidge, declaring that "the precedent might prove injurious to

12305-443: Was considered to hold a tremendous amount of power and frequently made policy decisions on his own, without the knowledge of the president. Biden was assigned by Barack Obama to oversee Iraq policy; Obama was said to have said, "Joe, you do Iraq." In February 2020, Donald Trump appointed Mike Pence to lead his response to COVID-19 and, upon his ascension to the presidency, Biden put Kamala Harris in charge of controlling migration at

12420-399: Was created, with the earliest being closest to the president and the newest farthest away. However, the vice president does not have any authority over the president's cabinet and all cabinet officials directly report to the president. The members of the Cabinet whom the president appoints serve at the pleasure of the president . The president can dismiss them from office at any time without

12535-482: Was denied re-nomination at the 1944 Democratic National Convention . Harry Truman was selected instead. During his 82-day vice presidency, Truman was never informed about any war or post-war plans, including the Manhattan Project . Truman had no visible role in the Roosevelt administration outside of his congressional responsibilities and met with the president only a few times during his tenure as vice president. Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, and Truman succeeded to

12650-467: Was first tested in 1841, following the death of President William Henry Harrison , only 31 days into his term. Harrison's vice president, John Tyler , asserted that under the Constitution, he had succeeded to the presidency, not just to its powers and duties. He had himself sworn in as president and assumed full presidential powers, refusing to acknowledge documents referring to him as "Acting President". Although some in Congress denounced Tyler's claim as

12765-447: Was made at the 1787 Constitutional Convention until near the end, when an eleven-member committee on "Leftover Business" proposed a method of electing the chief executive (president). Delegates had previously considered the selection of the Senate's presiding officer, deciding that "the Senate shall choose its own President", and had agreed that this official would be designated the executive's immediate successor. They had also considered

12880-601: Was not certain that a vice president would be allowed to serve as president for the duration of the original term as opposed to merely acting as president until new elections could be held. It was not until the 20th century that vice presidents were regularly included as members of the Cabinet and came to be regarded primarily as a member of the executive branch. Presidents have used Cabinet meetings of selected principal officers but to widely differing extents and for different purposes. During President Abraham Lincoln 's administration, Secretary of State William H. Seward advocated

12995-459: Was seen as little more than a minor position. John Adams, the first vice president, was the first of many frustrated by the "complete insignificance" of the office. To his wife Abigail Adams he wrote, "My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man   ... or his imagination contrived or his imagination conceived; and as I can do neither good nor evil, I must be borne away by others and met

13110-450: Was the first presidential aspirant to announce his selection for vice president before the beginning of the convention. Reagan's supporters then unsuccessfully sought to amend the convention rules so that Gerald Ford would be required to name his vice presidential running mate in advance as well. This move backfired to a degree, as Schweiker's relatively liberal voting record alienated many of the more conservative delegates who were considering

13225-506: Was the second time Webster declined the office, which William Henry Harrison had first offered to him. Ironically, both the presidents making the offer to Webster died in office, meaning the three-time candidate would have become president had he accepted either. Since presidents rarely die in office, however, the better preparation for the presidency was considered to be the office of Secretary of State , in which Webster served under Harrison, Tyler, and later, Taylor's successor, Fillmore. In

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