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Trump Inauguration

What does the vice president of the US do? This is his role and responsibilities

JD Vance will hold a unique position within the federal government, serving as both an executive officer and a member of the legislative branch.

What does the vice president actually do?
Drew HallowellGetty Images

President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office for the second time today. His running mate, JD Vance, will be doing so for the first time as he prepares to become the 50th vice president of the United States.

Still only 40 years old, Vance will become the third-youngest VP in US history when he is officially sworn in on Monday, the first ‘Millennial’ to hold the second-highest office in the land.

All eyes will be on Trump for much of the next four years but Vance will also have a part to play in shaping and delivering the President’s vision. The nature of a vice presidency is largely defined by the president but there are some responsibilities that fall squarely on the shoulders of the second-in-command.

What does the vice president actually do?

The primary constitutional duty of the vice president is to be prepared to assume the presidency should the need arise, such as in cases of death, resignation, or incapacitation of the sitting president. The VP is often said to be ‘one heartbeat away from the presidency’, underscoring the critical nature of the role.

¿Quién es JD Vance, el senador que Trump eligió como compañero de fórmula para ser vicepresidente?
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Donald Trump went out on a limb to name unproven JD Vance as his running mate.Gaelen MorseREUTERS

In US history eight vice presidents have ascended to the presidency due to the death of a sitting president. Most notably, Lyndon B. Johnson became president after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and went on to retain the Oval Office with a landslide win in the 1965 election.

In terms of the day-to-day work of a vice president, the VP provides a tie-breaking vote in the Senate when the 100 members are split. Vice president Kamala Harris was a crucial tie-breaker on 33 occasions during her single term as VP.

As the running mate during the presidential election, the vice president has an electoral mandate and is therefore the only member of the cabinet that the president cannot dismiss. That gives the VP a level of autonomy and they would typically serve as an important advisor to and representative of the president. The vice president also has a key role in policy matters as a statutory member of the Cabinet and the National Security Council

Although some formal responsibilities for the VP are laid out in the Constitution, the position is largely shaped by the presidency. Some presidents have opted to hand considerable decision-making authority to their VPs, while other prefer to see them a source of counsel and public representative.

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