



 |
 |
 |
 |
Under the Constitution's separation-of-powers doctrine, the vice president is one of the few officials with a foot in both the legislative and executive branches. In Congress, the vice president presides over the Senate but may vote only to break a tie. In the executive branch, the vice president serves as a standby president. As historian Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., bluntly put it, "It is a doomed office. The Vice President has only one serious thing to do: that is, to wait around for the president to die." more... |
|