Unchosen Presidents: The Vice-President and Other Frustrations of Presidential Succession (Quantum Books) [Hardcover]

Allan P. Sindler (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 118 pages
• Publisher: Univ of California Pr (July 1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520031857
• ISBN-13: 978-0520031852
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,210,911 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars History of the world's most paradoxical job, September 22, 2004

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Unchosen Presidents: The Vice-President and Other Frustrations of Presidential Succession (Quantum Books) (Hardcover)

The vice president of the United States has the most unique job in the world. Because they could become president, as has happened approximately one out of four times, the vice president must be able to assume the presidency at a moment's notice. However, the constitution gives them very little to do and traditionally, their role is to loyally carry out the wishes of the president. Originally, the president was the one receiving the most electoral votes and the vice president was the one who came in second. This worked well as long as there were no political parties. However, parties rose very quickly, which would have led to a president and vice president from separate parties. This would have created a natural rivalry in the executive branch, so that was soon abandoned for a system whereby the president and vice president ran together, meaning that people almost exclusively voted for the president. This further marginalized the vice president, leading to some very mediocre occupants of the office.
This book was written immediately after the conclusion of the Watergate affair, where vice president Spiro Agnew and president Richard Nixon had resigned their positions. Consequently, Gerald Ford assumed the presidency via appointment and congressional confirmation rather than through an election. This created the unusual situation where a president about to be removed from office selected his successor. Sindler steps through that process and thoroughly analyzes other possible succession options. His arguments are succinct and thorough, pointing out that there is no simple alternative.
Sindler also steps through the history of the vice presidency, explaining how the selection has evolved via a series of constitutional amendments. Many people have derided the office, including most of the holders of the office, even some who became president. One of the ironies, so well explained in the book, is that it would appear to be a natural stepping stone to being elected president, but it has not. Part of this is due to the low caliber of the men who have held the office, but there is more to it than that. For reasons that are unclear, it seems to reduce the stature of the inhabitant. Several vice presidents have run for president and most have been defeated. Of those that were popularly elected president on their own, Martin Van Buren, Richard Nixon and George H. W. Bush, their presidencies were not successful. Van Buren and Bush only served one term and their performance is considered lackluster at best. Nixon was not elected president until eight years after his term as vice president and he was forced to resign the presidency.
While there is no question that the president must remain the chief executive, it is sensible that some responsibility must devolve to the vice presidency. The demands of the job are becoming too great for a single person to manage it. Therefore, whatever you may think of them politically, the current situation where George W. Bush is the president and Dick Cheney is a quasi prime minister is probably the trend of the future.
If you are interested in the role that the vice presidency has had in the history of the country, then this is the book to read. Short and thorough, it explains all of the details of the office, and why it is the most paradoxical job in the world.