To what extent have Cheney and Biden transformed the role of the Vice President?

This essay hasn't yet been marked by one of our teachers

You can view 7 essays on United States that have been Marked by Teachers

The first 200 words of this essay...

To what extent have Cheney and Biden transformed the role of the Vice President? (45)

The Vice President in much of American history has been seen as a much more minor role than in the last 12 years especially. During the last twelve years it has been Cheney (8years) and Biden (4year...so far) that have occupied this role, so how much has changed under these two people? And what powers does a Vice President possess?

There are 4 powers that the Vice President has according to the traditional constitution and one subsequent amendment has meant that there are now 5 powers. These are as follows; Counting and announcing the result of the Electoral College votes after a presidential election. This role is almost irrelevant for the vice president since it carries no power or weight; nevertheless it is still classed as a Power. Secondly the Vice President has the role of becoming President of the U.S.A (at least until the next election) in the event of a Presidents death, retirement or removal from office. This is without doubt the most important role and is a power that the public take into consideration when a Presidential candidate announces their