The Presidency
The powers of the President
• Laid out in Article II of the Constitution, and are the formal constitutional sources of Presidential power:
o To propose legislation to Congress
o To submit the annual budget to Congress
o To sign legislation passed by Congress
o To veto legislation passed by Congress
o To act as chief executive
o To nominate federal judges
o To act as commander-in-chief
o To negotiate treaties
o To pardon felons
• See table for further detailed notes
The Vice-President
Powers of the vice-president
1. The presiding officer of the Senate, however, he rarely exercises this power and usually delegates the role
of chairing debates to younger members
a. When the VP does attend the Senate, it demonstrates the gravitas of the bill e.g. Joe Biden presided
over the gun control legislation debate in April 2013
2. Has the power to break a tied vote in the Senate.
a. Dick Cheney cast a tie-breaking vote in April 2001 to protect Bush’s $1.6 trillion tax cut
b. In the 28 years between 1981 and 2009, VP’s were only called upon 19 times to do this
c. Joe Biden never used this power during his first term
3. Given the task of counting and then announcing the result of the Electoral College votes.
a. In January 2013, Biden announced his own successful re-election along with Obama’s
4. Becomes President upon the incumbent’s death, resignation or removal
a. The most important of the four powers
b. Has occurred nine times
c. Gerald Ford became President in August 1974 following Nixon’s resignation/impeachment
Quotes on the power of the vice-president
• ‘In this I am nothing; but I may be everything’ – John Adams, the first VP
• ‘The most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived’ – John Adams
• ‘The vice-presidency is not only a meaningless but a hopeless office’ – Arthur Schlesinger
Amendments to the role of vice-president
• The nature of the VP is outlined in Article II, Section I
• There have been two amendments:
o 12th (1804):
§ You now vote for President and vice-president simultaneously
§ The VP is elected on a joint ticket with the President
o 25th (1967):
§ Outlines the rules of succession of the US presidency and the VP in the event of either or
them dying or stepping down
• VP becomes P
• P chooses VP if VP dies
The increasing importance of the vice-presidency
• Initially, the VP was usually the candidate who came second in the public balloting, and was thus
considered the ‘president in waiting’, and was often powerful and influential e.g. Thomas Jefferson and
John Adams
• After the 12th Amendment, the President was elected on a joint ticket, which created the sense that it was a
nothing job and was filled with non-entities
• However, since then the VP has grown in importance:
o As the powers and responsibilities of the President increased, the VP was seen as a source of
help in running the executive branch.
The powers of the President
• Laid out in Article II of the Constitution, and are the formal constitutional sources of Presidential power:
o To propose legislation to Congress
o To submit the annual budget to Congress
o To sign legislation passed by Congress
o To veto legislation passed by Congress
o To act as chief executive
o To nominate federal judges
o To act as commander-in-chief
o To negotiate treaties
o To pardon felons
• See table for further detailed notes
The Vice-President
Powers of the vice-president
1. The presiding officer of the Senate, however, he rarely exercises this power and usually delegates the role
of chairing debates to younger members
a. When the VP does attend the Senate, it demonstrates the gravitas of the bill e.g. Joe Biden presided
over the gun control legislation debate in April 2013
2. Has the power to break a tied vote in the Senate.
a. Dick Cheney cast a tie-breaking vote in April 2001 to protect Bush’s $1.6 trillion tax cut
b. In the 28 years between 1981 and 2009, VP’s were only called upon 19 times to do this
c. Joe Biden never used this power during his first term
3. Given the task of counting and then announcing the result of the Electoral College votes.
a. In January 2013, Biden announced his own successful re-election along with Obama’s
4. Becomes President upon the incumbent’s death, resignation or removal
a. The most important of the four powers
b. Has occurred nine times
c. Gerald Ford became President in August 1974 following Nixon’s resignation/impeachment
Quotes on the power of the vice-president
• ‘In this I am nothing; but I may be everything’ – John Adams, the first VP
• ‘The most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived’ – John Adams
• ‘The vice-presidency is not only a meaningless but a hopeless office’ – Arthur Schlesinger
Amendments to the role of vice-president
• The nature of the VP is outlined in Article II, Section I
• There have been two amendments:
o 12th (1804):
§ You now vote for President and vice-president simultaneously
§ The VP is elected on a joint ticket with the President
o 25th (1967):
§ Outlines the rules of succession of the US presidency and the VP in the event of either or
them dying or stepping down
• VP becomes P
• P chooses VP if VP dies
The increasing importance of the vice-presidency
• Initially, the VP was usually the candidate who came second in the public balloting, and was thus
considered the ‘president in waiting’, and was often powerful and influential e.g. Thomas Jefferson and
John Adams
• After the 12th Amendment, the President was elected on a joint ticket, which created the sense that it was a
nothing job and was filled with non-entities
• However, since then the VP has grown in importance:
o As the powers and responsibilities of the President increased, the VP was seen as a source of
help in running the executive branch.
