Who will be the next president and vice president of the USA? In 2024, the ending of the presidential debate season is on for the United States. Much is made of the American president. As it should be, right? Being the commander-in-chief of the United States is an important job, but what about the vice president.
The second in command in the USA is the vice president. This is the position that is next in power if anything were to happen to the vice president of the United States.
Learn some interesting facts about the vice president. For example, is the vice president of the United States really that important? Indeed, it is as the vice president is the second-highest office in the executive branch.
The vice president has more power than you think in the USA. For example, the acting can change policy and affect policy behind the scenes despite being second in command. Learn more fascinating facts about the Vice Presidents of the USA below!
1. Vice President of the United States used to be the second most popular Candidate
A lot of American history is filled with odd and curious facts. For example, in the past American history, the vice president would automatically go to the person with the second-most votes. This does not happen anymore in the USA as the vice president is associated and running with the main candidate.
Originally, the drafters of the US Constitution set up a system in which presidents were picked by members and people within an Electoral College. Historically, it was that the candidate with the most electoral votes clearly and logically would be president. And then so forth, the one with the second most votes or second-place finisher was deemed the vice president title.
In 1796, the problems with this vice president law began to take shape. Or again in 1800, when two candidates, Jefferson and his party’s preferred choice for veep, Aaron Burr, had received the same or similar number of votes. This system clearly created conflict and problems and eventually changed.
2. Until 1977, the vice president was expected to find their own housing
History has changed rapidly since the modern era in the 1960s and 1970s. Now, things have changed and certainly past and present vice presidents from Joe Biden to Mike Pence had housing provided.
It is shocking that until 1977, Vice Presidents were on their own for housing at all! As presidents would live in the White House, the vice president eventually got their own house.
Vice presidents live on Number One Observatory Circle in Washington, DC. The vice president house is grandiose and in a Queen Anne style Victorian home architecturally. The house today is from 1893, and on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, DC.
In 1977, the first vice president to live in this house was Walter Mondale. This is historical because Mondal was the initial to live in an official home for vice presidents. It is now known as the Vice Presidential residence. However, it is good to know that it is not the actual White House.
3. The term “Veep” is used to describe Vice Presidents
This nickname for vice presidents is just as popular as a lot of American slang. The term “veep” to describe a vice president is more used than many may think. There is an even HBO show, which has been airing a long time that goes by the same name “Veep.” The popular HBO show with Julia Louis-Dreyfus has made people more aware of the power and mystery of the American vice president.
The term “Veep” comes from 1949, which is of course American English. The term “veep” merely comes from or is coined from V.P., which is an abbreviation of vice president. The word may have been influenced by the newly formed company and vehicle called “jeep.” Also, sometimes simply known as (VPOTUS).
Also, in the press from the 1950s there was media that started using abbreviations for vice president. In one media publication, the “Saturday Evening Post,” the grandchildren of the Vice President found the title too long. So, the children started to refer to him as “veep.” Soon thereafter, many media and popular magazines quickly picked it up and started going with this new word or abbreviation for vice president.
4. The First vice president of the USA only made $5000
Throughout the years and centuries, the vice presidency has experienced a lot of changes. For example, today the vice president commands power and is often in the public eye. However, in the past it was seen as an almost lowly position considering it was related to the presidency. So, the vice presidents were paid very little. Times have changed a lot since the 1970s to the 2020s.
Historically, the notion that a man should be paid only in proportion to his services was valid. In early American history, it was especially true for the vice president. By the 1970s it really changed for the vice presidents as finally they were provided housing.
John Adams was the vice president and he only made a lowly $5000. However by 2011, Vice President Joe Biden had earned $230,700. This is a fairly good salary for the time around 2010 and it only has gotten higher. But remember in 1789, Vice President John Adams got a tiny small amount of $5,000, which was high for the time but quite low in today’s terms.
5. Kamala Harris made history when she became Vice President in 2020
In the United States, there are various things that have broken records. The current vice president is the first of many in terms of making history. Why?
Kamala Harris has made American history and is thus important. Because Harris was and still is the first female, first black and first Asian American US vice president.
Harris was sworn in right before Joe Biden had taken the oath of office to become and currently be the 46th US president.
Kamala is from Oakland, California, and was born to two immigrant parents. One of her parents is an Indian born mother and the other a Jamaican born father.
Kamala’s mother, Shyamala, is an Indian American woman who was keen on preserving and keeping her heritage. So, when Kamala was a child in 1964, her mother wanted to honor her Indian heritage. Kamala’s name is a Sanskrit term for “lotus flower.” Also, the name Kamalā is also a reference to an Indian goddess of wealth and good fortune, which is quite unique for any vice president of the USA.
6. The first vice president of color was in the 1800s in the United States
John Many may assume that Kamala was the first president of color or African American but it happened more than 100 years before in the USA. There are not many who may realize the progression of rights for African Americans in the United States ,
The first colored or vice president, with African in their ancestry was Charles Curtis. He was born in 1860 and had served under Herbert Hoover, as the first vice president of color with African ancestry. The first vice president of color was a member of the Kaw Nation. Also, Curtis studied law and eventually became an integral and important person in the Republican party.
As well as being the first African American vice president of color, Curtis had pushed for U.S. citizenship for all Native Americans. He was supportive of women’s suffrage overall. However, he was also behind and pushed for the Curtis Act of 1898, which greatly affected tribal governments and pushed for the division of communal lands in the USA.
7. Vice Presidents have more power than many realize and influence national policy
The vice president is a position that commands more respect than many may realize. For example, Vice presidents can and do make big decisions. Vice presidents in the past of the US, including Mike Pence and Joe Biden, are usually important members of an administration.
It is clear that vice presidents can directly be involved in shaping and forming policy at home and abroad. Just recently, vice president Kamala Harris had connected with constituents on her own from the Muslim community without president Joe Biden. Clearly, it is vice president Harris that can shape policy despite not being directly elected.
Historically, vice presidents like Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Gerald Ford, Nelson Rockefeller, and more changed the way we see vice presidential power. It has been that many vice presidents are able to take on and do executive tasks. Moreover, vice presidents are able to travel and accompany presidential emissaries. Lastly, vice presidents are able to chair various task forces, commissions, and councils in their own capacity
8. The vice presidency went from an unimportant position to a political powerhouse
At one point in American history, John Adams referred to the vice president as “the most insignificant office.” Even though Adams, an important political figure and founder of the United States felt this way as vice president things would eventually change for the future VPs.
In the past, early vice presidents had mostly spent their time and efforts on their other constitutional responsibility not leading or affecting policy. For example, many vice presidents would preside over the Senate and spend time on legislative matters mostly.
American politics and history has taken a turn where vice presidents were starting to be more active in the executive branch. Moreover, vice presidents would start to serve as adviros to president and represent the administration for any president. Vice presidents are key for shaping domestic and foreign policy issues today. In summary, vice presidents now go beyond what had been outlined in the U.S. Constitution.
9. Vice Presidency is often a road for future presidents
History in the United States can be unpredictable and a bit chaotic, but often it can show patterns. How? For example, many vice presidents become presidents. It has been proven that fourteen vice presidents have become president.
Moreover, eigh of the vice presidents ascended to the top because the president died in office for example. And one vice president because the president had resigned.
Overall, 29 of the 49 people who have served as vice president. This is more than an incredible coincidence. This is an internship to become president. Clearly, ever since the country’s founding during the days of the 13 colonies, the vice president has gone on to publicly seek a party’s presidential nomination.
All in all, there is a direct link between the office and going forward to the president. Recently, three modern vice presidents have won and continued to their party’s nomination. However, of those some lost the general election. In summary, the vice presidency is the road to presidency.
10. The Vice President only has one official duty technically
The vice president only has one official duty; that is to preside over the Senate and to cast a vote in the Senate if there is a tie. But, in recent years the vice president has also acted as a top adviser to the president and also serves as a member of the Smithsonian Board.
In the past, the American vice president has had several unique constitutional roles in the federal government. In addition to the primary role of serving as president, the vice president is explicitly needed to fill the remainder of a presidential term when there is a vacancy or absence. This is a clear primary role for vice presidents.
Constitutionally, the roles have been written down and put forward in the Constitution over many terms and presidencies. In theory, it has changed since the time of the Founder’s original vision in American history. In past centuries from the 19th Century to 20th Century, vice presidents had primarily been expected to take part and participate in Senate proceedings in a purely rulemaking capacity as presiding officers. However, it was already by around the 1920s that the role of the vice president had morphed into more of an executive branch function overall.
