By Kelly Maue

As the 2024 presidential election draws near, voters are scrutinizing the nominees’ running mates, Tim Walz and J.D. Vance. This is quite a departure from the early days when John Adams assumed the vice presidency from 1789-1797. As the nation’s first Veep, Adams reportedly referred to the office as “the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived.”

Through the years, the VPOTUS has gained importance, credibility and influence. In addition to being a “heartbeat away from the presidency,” the VP has many more responsibilities.

The vice president provides general support to the Commander in Chief, receives daily intelligence briefings, and is often relied upon as a top adviser. He or she is the Senate presiding officer and holds the sole power to break a split 50-50 vote. The VP also presides over impeachment trials and electoral vote counts and accompanies the president in the situation room. Other duties include representing the president on foreign trips, making appearances, and other ceremonial duties. The vice president is also a liaison between the president and Congress. 

Although recent decades have seen this shift in the role of the vice presidency, things were quite different before that. For example, it seems unthinkable that Franklin D. Roosevelt kept the development of the atomic bomb a secret from his VP, Harry Truman. But in fact, it wasn’t until FDR’s death that Truman found out about the bomb while assuming the presidency in 1945.

In stark contrast, Jimmy Carter had a very different relationship with his VP, Walter Mondale. During their years in office, the two worked as a team. From 1977 to 1981, this period became known as the modern vice presidency, and Mondale was the first VP to have an office in the West Wing, near the Oval Office. 

Since then, this type of working relationship has become more common. Cheney was very influential during Bush’s presidency, Gore was a top advisor to Clinton, and Biden was always the “last man in the room” before Obama made important decisions. Likewise, Biden asked Harris to always be the “last voice in the room” during his presidency.

Of the last 48 VPs, 15 have gone on to become president. While 8 of them assumed the role upon the death of a president, one happened after a resignation. Another six Veeps later went on to be elected to the presidency on merit.

More interesting VP facts include:

• During a duel in 1801, Jefferson’s Veep, Aaron Burr, shot and killed Alexander Hamilton.
• The vice presidency is the only public office in our government that falls under two branches: executive and legislative.
• Two vice presidents have resigned from office: John C. Calhoun in 1832 and Sprio Agnew in 1973.
• Three Veeps have won the Nobel Peace Prize: Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, Charles Dawes in 1925, and Al Gore in 2007.
• Kamala Harris, the 49th VP of the US, was the first woman and woman of color to be elected.