Under
Section 3 of the Twenty-fifth Amendment, the president may transfer the
presidential powers and duties to the vice president by transmitting a
statement to the Speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of
the Senate. But he rqust state the reasons for the transfer. In 2002 and again
in 2007, President George W. Bush briefly transferred presidential authority to
Vice President Dick Cheney. In both cases, this was done to accommodate a
medical procedure which required Bush to be sedated; both times, Bush returned
to duty later the same day.
The Vice-Presidency
The Constitution of United States provides for the office of
Vice-president as well. He is elected along with the President in the same
manner. When the method of electing the president through the Electoral College
was decided by the Forefathers of the Constitution, the office of the
vice-president became necessary since he may succeed to the Presidency in the
event of the President's death, resignation or removal. So, the Vice President
must meet all the qualifications of President. The Vice-Presidency is
therefore, 'an office unique in its
functions or rather lack in its functions.'10 Woodrow Wilson described the
position of the Vice-President as
"one of anomalous
insignificance and curious uncertainty." Franklin Roosevelt said that he
would rather be a Professor of history than Vice-president. So, the
Vice-president is the person with all the qualifications and charismas a
President should possess without, the
power and prestige
of the President.
His importance is the mark of a second-class office. Mode of Election: Article
II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution states that, the Vice President is
elected in the same way as the President.
According to the
original provisions of the Constitution, the man getting the
highest number of votes was elected President and the person with the
second-highest votes next to the President-elect was declared the
Vice-president of the United
States. But this method was changed by the
Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution. The Electors have now to vote separately
for the President and the Vice-President.
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