Civics & Government · 9th Grade · The Executive Branch and Bureaucracy · Weeks 10-18

The Vice Presidency

Examining the evolving role of the 'second in command' from a figurehead to a key policy player.

• Common Core State Standards
• C3: D2.Civ.1.9-12
• C3: D2.Civ.6.9-12

About This Topic

Article II of the Constitution assigns the Vice President only two formal duties: presiding over the Senate and casting tie-breaking votes there, and standing next in line to assume the presidency if the President dies, resigns, or is removed. For most of American history, the office was treated as a minor position. Vice Presidents were routinely excluded from Cabinet meetings, given little substantive policy work, and largely ignored by the Presidents they served.

That changed significantly in the second half of the 20th century. Vice Presidents from Walter Mondale onward have taken on increasingly active roles as governing partners rather than constitutional backups. Dick Cheney and Al Gore each wielded significant policy influence in their respective administrations; Joe Biden managed the Obama administration's relationships with Congress. The 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967, formalized procedures for presidential disability and succession, giving the Vice Presidency new legal clarity and political weight.

For 9th grade students, this topic offers a useful case study in how constitutional text and institutional practice can diverge over time, and how amendments can clarify provisions the original document left ambiguous. Active learning helps students move beyond the caricature of the Vice Presidency to analyze its real and evolving significance.

Key Questions

1. Analyze the most important function of the Vice President.
2. Explain how the 25th Amendment clarifies the line of succession.
3. Justify whether the Vice President should have more formal constitutional powers.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the constitutional duties of the Vice President as outlined in Article II and compare them to the Vice President's modern-day responsibilities.
• Explain the significance of the 25th Amendment in clarifying presidential succession and disability procedures.
• Evaluate arguments for and against granting the Vice President more formal constitutional powers.
• Compare the influence and policy involvement of historical Vice Presidents with those from the late 20th century onward.

Before You Start

The U.S. Constitution: Article II

Why: Students need a foundational understanding of the President's powers and the structure of the Executive Branch as defined in Article II before examining the Vice Presidency's role.

The Amendment Process

Why: Understanding how amendments are added to the Constitution is essential for comprehending the context and impact of the 25th Amendment.

Key Vocabulary

Presidential Succession	The order in which officials are eligible to assume the powers and responsibilities of the President of the United States if the President dies, resigns, or is removed from office.
Constitutional Duties	Specific responsibilities and powers assigned to an officeholder by the U.S. Constitution, such as presiding over the Senate.
25th Amendment	A constitutional amendment that clarifies presidential disability and succession, including procedures for filling a vacancy in the office of Vice President.
Policy Player	An individual who actively participates in the development and implementation of government policies, often holding significant influence within an administration.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

The Vice President presides over the Senate every day.

What to Teach Instead

The Vice President rarely presides in practice. The President pro tempore, a senior senator from the majority party, typically fills that role. The VP returns to preside mainly when a tie-breaking vote is anticipated. These votes are rare but consequential -- students who follow current Senate news may have seen Vice Presidents cast decisive tie-breaking votes on major legislation.

Common Misconception

The 25th Amendment was part of the original Constitution.

What to Teach Instead

The 25th Amendment was ratified in 1967, partly in response to confusion following President Kennedy's assassination and concerns raised by President Eisenhower's heart attacks in the 1950s. Before 1967, no formal constitutional procedure existed for handling presidential disability -- a serious gap that went unaddressed for 178 years. This history matters for understanding why constitutional amendments are sometimes necessary.

Common Misconception

The Vice President can step in for the President on any policy matter.

What to Teach Instead

The Vice President has no independent authority to act in the President's name unless the President has explicitly delegated it or the 25th Amendment succession provisions have been invoked. An active VP policy role is a matter of presidential delegation and political trust, not constitutional right. Distinguishing formal authority from informal influence is a key analytical skill for this topic.

Active Learning Ideas

Timeline Analysis: From Figurehead to Governing Partner

Students construct a visual timeline of Vice Presidents from Adams to the present, categorizing each as a figurehead or governing partner based on brief profiles. The class identifies the pivot points -- specific administrations or external events -- where the role changed, and the debrief focuses on whether the change was driven by constitutional revision, political need, or individual leadership choices.

40 min·Small Groups

Document Analysis: The Four Sections of the 25th Amendment

Each group analyzes one section of the 25th Amendment: summarizing what it does, what problem it was designed to solve, and one historical scenario where it would apply. Groups report out and the class assembles the complete succession and disability framework. A brief case study (e.g., Eisenhower's heart attacks or Nixon's resignation) makes the stakes concrete.

35 min·Small Groups

Think-Pair-Share: Designing the Vice Presidency

Students write their own answer to: "If you were designing the Vice Presidency from scratch, what formal duties would you assign?" Pairs compare and identify their top two design principles. Class discussion synthesizes responses and evaluates them against the current constitutional reality and practical governance constraints.

20 min·Pairs

Formal Debate: More Constitutional Power for the VP?

Students debate whether the Vice Presidency should have more formally defined constitutional powers, a stronger statutory role, or should remain as is. Each position must address the Senate role, the succession function, and the risk of creating a rival power center within the executive branch that could complicate presidential authority.

35 min·Whole Class

Real-World Connections

• Students can research the current Vice President's official schedule and public statements to identify specific policy initiatives they are actively promoting, such as economic development or foreign relations.
• Investigate how Vice Presidents like Walter Mondale or Dick Cheney influenced major legislation or foreign policy decisions during their terms, connecting their actions to specific historical events or laws.
• Examine news reports detailing the Vice President's role in diplomatic missions or negotiations, such as representing the U.S. at international summits or meeting with foreign leaders.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

Pose the question: 'Considering the Vice President's constitutional duties and modern-day roles, what do you believe is their single most important function?' Facilitate a class discussion where students must support their claims with evidence from the lesson.

Quick Check

Provide students with a brief scenario describing a President becoming incapacitated. Ask them to write a short paragraph explaining how the 25th Amendment would be applied to determine who assumes presidential powers and why.

Exit Ticket

On an index card, ask students to list one formal constitutional duty of the Vice President and one informal duty they have taken on in recent administrations. They should also write one sentence stating whether they think the informal duties detract from or enhance the office.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Vice President's formal constitutional duties?

The Constitution gives the Vice President two formal duties: presiding over the Senate and casting tie-breaking votes when the Senate is deadlocked, and succeeding to the presidency if the President dies, resigns, or is removed. Everything else the Vice President does -- policy advising, representing the administration abroad, Congressional liaison work -- results from presidential delegation, not constitutional mandate.

What does the 25th Amendment say about presidential succession?

The 25th Amendment (1967) establishes four key provisions: the VP succeeds permanently if the President dies or resigns (Section 1); the President can nominate a new VP if the office is vacant, subject to Congressional confirmation (Section 2); the President can temporarily transfer power to the VP (Section 3); and Congress can declare a President unable to perform duties if the VP and Cabinet majority certify incapacity (Section 4).

Has the 25th Amendment ever been used?

Yes. Section 2 was used twice in the 1970s: Gerald Ford was confirmed as VP after Spiro Agnew resigned (1973), and Nelson Rockefeller was confirmed after Ford became President following Nixon's resignation (1974). Section 3 has been invoked briefly for scheduled medical procedures. Section 4, the most dramatic provision for removing an incapacitated president, has never been invoked.

How does active learning help students understand the evolving role of the Vice President?

The Vice Presidency is a case where institutional practice has diverged significantly from constitutional text -- a tension that is hard to grasp from a textbook alone. When students trace the evolution of VP roles across administrations, debate design choices, and analyze specific 25th Amendment provisions against historical scenarios, they build the capacity to distinguish between how institutions are formally structured and how they actually function.