“I am Vice President. In this I am nothing, but I may be everything “I am Vice President. In this I am nothing, but I may be everything.” -John Adams

The Vice President

In the Constitution The only role the Constitution actually gives to the VP is to be the President of the Senate.

How the office was formed Compromise in the Constitutional Convention Delegates assumed that electors would vote for “Favorite Son” candidates In a plurality situation the vote for president would go to the most populous states

How the office was formed The electoral college system was formed and gave each elector 2 votes The delegates assumed that the first vote would be for their “Favorite Son” and the second would be used for a statesman of national character. To avoid gaming the system, the first runner up would become the Vice President

How the office was formed The process for selecting the Vice President was later modified by the 12th Amendment Each elector receives one vote for President and one vote for Vice President Since the early 1800s political parties have begun to nominate both a President and Vice President

Early Roles of the Vice President The first Vice Presidents oversaw most of the Senate proceedings The VP casts a vote in the Senate in cases of a tie, Adams did this 29 times Early VPs participated in Senate debate, swaying legislation frequently

Standing Rules of the Senate There are no significant duties given to the VP other than the tie breaking vote Rule XIX, which addresses debate was amended, forbidding the VP from participating in debate.

Infrequent Duties The VP oversees the counting and presentation of the votes of the Electoral College In cases of impeachment where the Executive Branch is not involved, the VP presides over the Senate trial

25th Amendment Early on there was no clear rule for who takes over if the President can not fulfil their duties In 1841, John Tyler stepped in as “Acting President” when William Henry Harrison fell ill There were strong calls against his action, but no one challenged it legally In 1967, the 25th Amendment was passed giving a clear line of succession

Role Today Since Eisenhower, the prominence of the VP has increased greatly The VP is seen as an extension of the Presidency The VP often attends events to promote the agenda of the President They often write bills and help to develop national policies VP does not generally oversee the day to day operations of the Senate, only presiding over important votes