1. The Presidency

2. Presidential Succession and the Vice Presidency
Section 2
Presidential Succession and the Vice Presidency

3. The Constitution and Succession
Constitution states
“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.” – Article 2, Section 1, Clause 6.
Precedent of Vice President taking over began in 1841.
Became part of the Constitution in 1967 with the passage of the 25th Amendment

4. Presidential Succession
Established by Presidential Succession Act of 1947.
President succeeded by Vice President, then Speaker of the House, and President Pro Tempore
If these officers are unable to serve, then the Secretary of State becomes president followed by the other 14 heads of executive departments in order of precedence.

5. Vice President
Speaker of the House of Representatives
President Pro Tempore of the Senate
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Energy
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Secretary of Homeland Security

6. Presidential Disability
For most of the history of the U.S. there were serious gaps in presidential succession.
Garfield survived for 80 days after assassination attempt
Wilson suffered stroke and was an invalid for the rest of his term.
25th Amendment establishes protocol for event of Presidential disability.
President informs Congress in writing
VP and majority of Cabinet inform Congress in writing.

7. The Vice Presidency
“My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived.”
John Adams, first Vice President of the U.S.

8. Role of the Vice President
Formal Duties:
(1) preside over the Senate
(2) to help decide the question of Presidential disability.
President-in-waiting
“I am Vice President. In this I am nothing, but I may be everything.” – John Adams
Balancing the Ticket

9. The Vice Presidency Today
Expanded roll
Recent presidents have used the Vice President more extensively.
George W. Bush and Dick Cheney