In the United States, the position of vice president is not very powerful, although he is often seen next to the presidential candidate on the ballot. He is placed next to the presidential candidate in all election campaign events.
Because, a vice presidential candidate helps to spread their election message among the voters and increase the momentum of the campaign.
Who are the candidates of the two main parties in the presidential election of the United States is now very certain. Current President Joe Biden is a candidate from his party, the Democratic Party. He has trusted his vice president Kamala Harris as his running mate.
However, even if there is no official announcement, former US President Donald Trump is the candidate for the presidency from the Republican party. The Republican National Convention will be held next month. Trump may announce his running mate at the conference or a few days before.
Voters will elect the President along with his Vice President. There will be no separate vote for the Vice President. So voting for Trump or Biden also means voting for their vice president.
The election campaign in the United States is now in full swing. Let's learn about the position of Vice President in the United States government system and how they are chosen.
Importance of Vice President in Constitution
Christopher Devin, political science professor at the University of Dayton, commented that a vice president is given "very few responsibilities" in the US Constitution.
This political scientist told Al-Jazeera that if the president dies, resigns or is unable to perform his duties for any reason, then the vice president will take over. It is one of his major responsibilities. Also, if there is a tie in the Senate, the Vice President's vote breaks the tie.
Kamala Harris has had to do this regularly for the first two years of Biden's term. At that time, the upper house of Congress, the Senate, had 100 seats, 50 each, divided between Republicans and Democrats.
The Vice President is the head of the Senate. Over the decades, however, vice presidents have largely ceased to preside over legislative activities. For this reason it has now become largely a formal term.
What does the Vice President do outside of official duties?
Currently, the Vice President works primarily as an advisor to the President. When the president makes a big decision, "the last person in his room is expected to be the vice president," says Professor Devin.
Although the position is now formal, the modern United States has seen vice presidents as influential as Dick Cheney. Cheney showed his charisma especially during George W. Bush's first term. But vice presidents such as Trump's Vice President Mike Pence have been seen not doing any important administration work and staying out of the conversation.
However, presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky believes that the extent to which the vice president can exert influence on the administration of government depends largely on his own experience and his relationships with others. As an example, he cites Dick Cheney, who served as secretary of defense, member of Congress and White House chief of staff before becoming vice president.
How Vice Presidents are Chosen
Like the president, vice presidential candidates do not have to compete in party primaries. After the presidential candidate is decided, the vice president of his choice is chosen.
The presidential candidate first chooses his running mate from the list and then the vice presidential candidate is formally nominated at the party convention.
What qualifications are considered?
Chervinsky said a good speaker is usually chosen as vice president. But if one is 'ready to speak out' against the opponent, that is considered an added qualification.
Caste, age, gender and experience are often taken into account for the sake of so-called balancing.
Like Biden chose Kamala Harris. Kamala is a black woman and young in age. In contrast, when former US President Barack Obama ran for office, he served as a senator only once. For balance, he chose Biden, a 35-year veteran in the Senate, as his running mate. Biden is currently the president.
Chervinsky said they look at who can help win the election.
Who will Trump choose?
His Vice President Mike Pence did not respond to Trump's call to prevent Biden's victory in the last election. Pence has refused to use his constitutional authority to withhold results on the day the Electoral College votes are counted in Congress.
It's clear, Chervinsky said, this time Trump wants someone who will show loyalty to him, even if it goes beyond constitutional duties. He can choose a woman or someone diverse.
Congressman Elise Stefanik, Senator Tim Scott, Senator J.D. Vance and North Dakota's Doug Burgum are being heard as Trump's possible running mate. Scott is the only black Republican in the Senate.
However, Chervinsky thinks that it is difficult to predict who Trump will choose in the end. Voting for the presidential election in the United States will be held next November.
No comments:
Post a Comment