II.

Powers and Responsibilities

The vice president’s most important role is to replace the president if the president dies or becomes unable to manage the country’s affairs. Under the Constitution of the United States, the vice president automatically assumes the presidency if the president dies.

The 25th Amendment details procedures for replacing a president who is incapacitated due to illness, injury, or other reasons. In such cases, the president may hand over power to the vice president by sending a written message to the Congress of the United States stating that he or she is unable to carry out the presidential duties. Should the president become incapable of running the country and be unwilling or unable to acknowledge this, the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet can notify Congress that the president is unfit. The vice president then becomes acting president until the president certifies in writing that he or she can resume the presidential responsibilities. The vice president, with the support of a majority of the Cabinet, can block the president’s resumption of power, but their decision must be approved by votes of two-thirds of both houses of Congress within 21 days. If Congress fails to support the vice president and the Cabinet, the president regains control.

The Constitution gives the vice president few other official duties. The vice president serves as president of the Senate, formally presiding over Senate deliberations. Even this constitutional responsibility is limited, giving the vice president a vote on Senate bills and resolutions only if there is a tie vote. Because of this limited role in the Senate, the vice president rarely comes to the chamber. The Senate selects a president pro tempore (temporary president), who supervises the Senate most of the time. The vice president also presides over a joint session of Congress when it formally counts electoral votes for presidential elections.

For most of U.S. history, the vice president’s role was limited to these largely ceremonial constitutional obligations. Since World War II (1939-1945) the president and Congress have assigned more and more responsibilities to the vice president. The vice president attends Cabinet meetings and sessions of the National Security Council, the president’s chief advisory panel for formulating and implementing policies related to the military, foreign relations, and other national security issues.

The president also relies on the vice president to lead important presidential committees and panels, which study issues such as environmental protection, urban renewal, and reducing the size of the government bureaucracy. In addition, the vice president often travels to other countries to represent the president at international conferences, the funerals of foreign dignitaries, and other important events.

When the president is away from Washington, D.C., or busy with other duties, the vice president often greets White House guests of many kinds, from groups of Boy Scouts to members of professional associations. If the president is unavailable, the vice president may also attend luncheons and dinners for diplomats or other officials from abroad, and hold meetings with leaders from business groups, labor unions, and other important political constituencies.