Simone Lawson
The Vice President of the United States has a variety of roles and responsibilities, some of which are formal and constitutionally-recognised, while others are informal and vary depending on their relationship with the President. The Vice President's most important role is to serve as President temporarily or for the remainder of a presidential term when there is a vacancy in office or an inability on the President's part. They are also responsible for presiding over and certifying the tally of electoral college votes after a Presidential election, as well as serving as the President of the Senate, which involves maintaining order and decorum, recognising members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules. While there are no specific qualifications required to be a Vice Presidential candidate, most have served in Congress or held high-ranking military positions. The role of the Vice President has evolved over time, with the 25th Amendment in 1967 seeking to better define the process of determining presidential vacancies and the inability or disability of a President or Vice President.
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What You'll Learn
The vice president's role in the modern political era
The role of the vice president in the modern political era has evolved significantly from the Founders' original vision. The vice president's primary role is to serve as president temporarily or for the remainder of a presidential term when there is a vacancy in office or an inability or disability on the president's part. This is often referred to as being "a heartbeat away from the presidency".
In addition to this, the vice president has several other unique constitutional roles. They are the President of the Senate and can break a tie vote in the chamber. While in the past, vice presidents actively presided over Senate proceedings, nowadays, they only get involved to break a tie. The vice president also has the responsibility of presiding over and certifying the tally of electoral college votes after a presidential election.
Beyond these formal duties, the vice president's role also includes many visible, informal responsibilities that vary depending on their relationship with the president. These often include making public appearances representing the president, performing ceremonial duties, and serving as a confidant, envoy, and top advisor to the president.
In recent years, vice presidents have played an increasingly important role in government, with some even describing them as "leaders". Walter F. Mondale, who served as vice president from 1977 to 1981, is often credited with transforming the office and paving the way for the powerful vice presidents who followed. Mondale had frequent, unprecedented access to President Carter and was heavily involved in both domestic and foreign policy.
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The vice president's constitutional role
The Vice President of the United States has several constitutional roles. The main responsibility of the Vice President is to serve as President of the Senate, as outlined in Article I, Section 3 of the US Constitution. This means that the Vice President is responsible for presiding over Senate meetings, maintaining order and decorum, recognizing members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices, and precedents. The Vice President also has the authority to cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate.
In addition to their role in the Senate, the Vice President also has the responsibility of temporarily serving as President in certain situations. This can occur if there is a vacancy in the office of the President, or if the President is unable to perform their duties due to disability or removal from office. In such cases, the Vice President becomes the Acting President until the President is able to resume their duties or a new President is elected.
The Vice President also has a role in the Electoral College process, as they are responsible for presiding over and certifying the tally of electoral college votes after a Presidential election. Additionally, they often serve as an important liaison between the administration and Congress, especially when the President has not previously served in Congress.
The role of the Vice President has evolved over time, and recent Vice Presidents have been delegated significant authority by the President to handle important issue areas independently. The Vice President often serves as a close adviser to the President and may be assigned specific responsibilities or policy areas to oversee.
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The vice president's role in the Senate
The Vice President of the United States, also known as VPOTUS or Veep, is an important position in the executive branch of the federal government. The Vice President is often described as being "a heartbeat away from the presidency", and this is no exaggeration—the Vice President is first in line to succeed the President in the event of the latter's death, resignation, or removal from office.
Historically, the Vice President's primary duty was to preside over the Senate. The first two vice presidents, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, regularly presided over Senate proceedings and did much to shape the role of Senate president. However, in recent times, the Vice President's role has evolved to include other responsibilities, and they now only preside over the Senate infrequently.
In addition to their role in the Senate, the Vice President also has several other constitutional and informal responsibilities. They are a statutory member of the United States Cabinet and the National Security Council, playing a significant role in executive government and national security matters. They also serve as a principal advisor to the President and may be tasked with handling significant issue areas independently. Informally, the Vice President may be called upon to make public appearances representing the President and perform ceremonial duties in their place.
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The vice president's informal responsibilities
Advising the President: Vice presidents have often been regarded as important advisers to the president on various issues. For instance, Al Gore advised President Bill Clinton on foreign policy and the environment, while Joe Biden was tasked with overseeing Iraq policy by President Barack Obama.
Liaison with Congress: The vice president often serves as a liaison between the administration and Congress, especially when the president has limited experience serving in Congress. This role is crucial for facilitating communication and coordination between the executive and legislative branches of the government.
Making Public Appearances: Vice presidents often represent the president in public appearances and perform ceremonial duties in their place. This helps to showcase the administration's support or concern and maintain a public presence.
Policy Spokesperson: The vice president may also serve as a drafter and spokesperson for the administration's policies, communicating and promoting the government's agenda to the public.
National Security Council Member: Since 1949, the vice president has been a statutory member of the National Security Council. This role ensures that the vice president is informed about critical security issues and can provide advice and input on national security matters.
Senate Leadership: According to Article I, Section 3, Clause 4 of the Constitution, the vice president holds the title of "President of the Senate." This role includes presiding over Senate meetings, maintaining order and decorum, recognizing members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules. The vice president can also cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate, although the frequency of this occurrence has varied across different administrations.
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The vice president's role in a presidential vacancy
The role of the vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest-ranking office in the executive branch of the US federal government, after the president. The vice president is also an officer in the legislative branch, as the president of the Senate.
In the case of a presidential vacancy, the vice president becomes president. This is outlined in the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution, which was passed in 1967. The amendment states that the vice president becomes president "in case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation".
Prior to the 25th Amendment, there was no constitutional mechanism for filling an intra-term vacancy in the vice presidency. As a result, when a vacancy occurred, the office was often left vacant until the next election and inauguration. The 25th Amendment allows the president and Congress to nominate and approve a new vice president when that office becomes vacant.
The vice president also has a role in situations where a president is unable to discharge their official duties, for example, due to illness or incapacity. In such cases, the vice president, in conjunction with a majority of the cabinet or a previously appointed disability board, can notify Congress of the president's inability to serve, and the vice president becomes acting president. The president then has the opportunity to respond and notify Congress that they are able to serve. The vice president and the cabinet or disability board can object to the president's claim, and a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate can determine that the president is indeed unable to serve, at which point the vice president continues as acting president.
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Frequently asked questions
The vice president is selected at National Conventions by the party. However, in practice, standard procedure has been for presidential candidates to choose their own running mates.
In the event of a vacancy in the office of the president, the vice president assumes the role of president for the remainder of the presidential term.
The vice president has several unique constitutional roles in the federal government. They are the "President of the Senate", and can preside over Senate meetings, interpret the Senate's rules, and cast a tie-breaking vote. They also have the authority to notify Congress if the president is unable to serve, and can act as a general advisor to the president.
There are no special qualifications to be a vice president. However, in practice, most candidates have served in Congress, and some have been high-ranking military officers or state governors.
