Introduction
Welcome to a segment of our recurring Topic Tuesday Thursday Discussion Thread series. We recognize it's not exactly the right day, but owing to some heavy traffic with our stickies on Tuesday, we decided to move the discussion to today. Today, the topic is the role of the Vice President in American politics.
Background
History and Role
Historically, the American Vice President was a comparatively minor role in politics. John Adams, the nation's first Vice President, famously declared the Vice Presidency to be "the most insignificant Office that ever the Invention of Man contrived or his imagination conceived", and it would not be until 1974 before the Vice President even had an official residence in Washington (to this day, Number One Observatory Circle is still considered only the temporary residence of the Vice President).
Constitutionally, the Vice President serves two major functions - to succeed the President in case of death or incapacitation, and as President of the Senate, enabling him (or her) to break tied votes. Beyond this, the power of a Vice President tends to derive from his or her relationship with the President. Vice President Biden, for instance, was tasked by President Obama with overseeing the 2009 economic recovery. Vice President Cheney played a major role in US foreign policy under President George W. Bush, including pushing for the war in Iraq. Vice President Gore, despite playing a major role in negotiating the Kyoto Protocol, was not asked to lead the push for universal health care by President Clinton.
Selection
Since the early 20th century, Vice Presidential nominees have been selected by the winner of the party's nomination for President. When selecting a Vice Presidential nominee, candidates tend to look for a few factors to guide their decision, such as:
Geographic balance. Democrats had historically balanced their ticket so that one member of the ticket would be from the North while another would be from the South. Bill Clinton's ticket was the first in centuries to feature an all-Southern ticket, and Barack Obama's ticket also broke norms by featuring an all-Northern ticket. These days, North/South balance isn't as important, but nominees often consider picking a running mate from a swing state or swing region. In 2016, Hillary Clinton chose Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, as Virginia was perceived as being a swing state, while one consideration that Donald Trump may have had in selecting Indiana Governor Mike Pence was the regional appeal to the Midwest. Former Vice President Joe Biden was selected by Barack Obama in part because of his appeal to the swing state of Pennsylvania, despite representing a different state. This doesn't always work, however; while Kaine and Pence both won their home states in 2016, and Pence may well have helped Trump flip the Blue Wall states, in the past, then-Representative Paul Ryan failed to appreciably swing the battleground of Wisconsin for Mitt Romney in 2012, and both John Edwards and Jack Kemp failed to win their home states for John Kerry and Bob Dole respectively.
Ideological Balance. Vice Presidents are more often brought on as a way of appeasing various factions of the party. Senator John McCain selected Governor Sarah Palin in 2008 in part to secure his support with religious voters in the Republican party, which was a similar consideration that Donald Trump had in selecting Governor Mike Pence. Former Vice President Joe Biden is currently under at least some pressure to select a more liberal leaning Vice Presidential nominee as well given that his win came more from the established and moderate side of his party.
Experience. Not only is experience important in case the Vice President were to assume the responsibilities of the President, but it also matters in terms of balancing the ticket. In 2008, Joe Biden was selected as Vice Presidential nominee in part because of his extensive foreign policy experience, which Barack Obama, as a first term Senator, lacked. A similar calculation affected John F. Kennedy when he selected Lyndon B. Johnson as his running mate, given the latter's ties to the party establishment and extensive experience in Congress. On the flip side, John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin, then a half term Governor, was criticized given that she lacked substantive experience, and because Senator McCain's age and prior health issues meant that there was an elevated likelihood that Palin would have needed to take over. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who would be the oldest first term President in history if elected, has stated that he wants a Vice Presidential nominee who is ready to take over if need be.
Other factors that come into play also include personal chemistry between the candidate and his/her running mate (JFK's brother famously asked LBJ to turn down the VP nomination in 1960 for instance), as well as diversity of the ticket (John McCain picked Sarah Palin partly to appeal to Clinton voters who wanted a woman candidate). Additionally, Vice Presidential nominees are, in the modern era, rigorously vetted, which also narrows the field of VP picks to some extent. This is particularly true after the 1972 election, when the Democratic nominee for Vice President, Senator Thomas Eagleton, was forced to step aside after the convention ended after it came to light that he had been treated for severe depression.
Incumbent Presidents very rarely select a different Vice President when running for reelection, although speculation always abounds over the possibility every cycle that features an incumbent running for reelection. The last President to do so and win reelection was Franklin Roosevelt, who had 3 different Vice Presidents over the course of successfully winning 4 terms in office. Candidates who have not yet won the nomination also rarely select a Vice Presidential nominee, the most recent being Texas Senator Cruz selecting businesswoman Carly Fiorina in 2016, and the only other notable instance of this being Ronald Reagan in 1976, who selected Pennsylvania Senator Richard Schweiker as his running mate were he to have won the nomination (Reagan would ultimately lose the nomination to incumbent President Gerald Ford).
In the modern era, Vice Presidents tend to be selected about a week before a party's nominating convention. The media typically gets wind of candidates in the so-called "veepstakes", and gradually whittles the list down as candidates who are not selected make public statements indicating they have withdrawn from consideration. There is some degree of secrecy involved in the announcement, with some campaigns more than others seeking to keep the identity of the VP nominee secret.
Discussion Questions
With all that being said, here are some discussion questions to chat about:
What role should the Vice President play in American politics? Should Presidents strive to give their VPs more power or relegate them to the bare minimum role that is prescribed in the Constitution?
Who, in your view, was a strong Vice President and why? Who was a weak Vice President?
Are there any changes that you would make to the Vice Presidential selection process, and why?
In light of the upcoming announcement by former Vice President Joe Biden of his running mate, who do you think he should choose? With respect to President Trump, would it be a good idea for him to choose a different running mate this time (and, if so, who?), or should he keep Vice President Pence on the ticket?
Please keep in mind our civility rules when discussing.
