|
|
Encyclopedia entry: Vice President
- Article from:
- The Oxford Guide to the United States Government
- Author:
Copyright© The Oxford Guide to the United States Government 2001, originally published by Oxford University Press 2001. (Hide copyright information)
|
Vice President
The Vice President is the officer designated by the Constitution to succeed to the office of President in case of a vacancy created by the death, disability, impeachment, or resignation of the President.
The Vice Presidency was an afterthought for the Constitutional Convention, put into the document in order to provide for orderly succession without resorting to election of someone from Congress to fill the vacancy. The Vice President is not a member of either the executive or the legislative branch. Constitutionally, the Vice President is not a subordinate of the President, who has no power to issue orders to the Vice President and who cannot remove him from office. (The ...