kids encyclopedia robot

List of vice presidents of the United States facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
1OC2003
Number One Observatory Circle, the official home of the Vice President of the United States.

The vice president of the United States is a very important leader in the U.S. government. They are the second-highest official after the president of the United States. The Vice President also leads the Senate, which is part of Congress. If there's a tie vote in the Senate, the Vice President can cast the deciding vote. This power has been used differently by VPs over time. A couple of VPs, George Clinton and John C. Calhoun, even served under different presidents.

The current Vice President is JD Vance. He became the 50th Vice President on January 20, 2025.

Understanding the Vice President's Role

The office of the Vice President was created in 1789. There have been 50 U.S. Vice Presidents since then.

How Vice Presidents Are Chosen

Originally, the person who came in second place for president in the Electoral College became Vice President. But after the election of 1800, there was a tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. The House of Representatives had to choose the winner. To prevent this from happening again, the Twelfth Amendment was added to the Constitution in 1804. Now, voters cast separate ballots for President and Vice President.

Taking Over as President

The Vice President is the first person in the line of succession. This means they become President if the President dies, resigns, or is removed from office. Nine Vice Presidents have become President this way. Also, many Vice Presidents have later been elected President on their own.

Filling a Vacancy

Before 1967, if the Vice President's office became empty, it stayed empty until the next election. This happened many times. Seven Vice Presidents died in office, one resigned, and eight became President.

The Twenty-fifth Amendment changed this in 1967. Now, if the Vice President's office is empty, the President can choose a new Vice President. Both parts of Congress must approve this choice.

Since 1967, the Vice President's office has been empty twice. Both times were during the Nixon administration. New Vice Presidents were chosen using this new rule.

The 25th Amendment also allows the Vice President to temporarily act as President. This happens if the President is unable to do their job. Three Vice Presidents have briefly served as acting president:

List of Vice Presidents

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Anexo:Vicepresidentes de los Estados Unidos para niños

kids search engine
List of vice presidents of the United States Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.