The vice president has no power - re-published 4 October 2016

"The formal powers and role of the vice president are limited by the Constitution to becoming president should the president become unable to serve (e.g. due to the death, resignation, or medical impairment of the president) and acting as the presiding officer of the United States Senate. As President of the Senate, the vice president has two primary duties: to cast a vote in the event of a senate deadlock and to preside over and certify the official vote count of the U.S. Electoral College." Wiki below.

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There is no power inherent in the office of vice president of the United States other than those enumerated above.

None. 

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Unless the president gives the vice president functional power by executive order (as GW Bush did with Cheney) the holder of this office has no real significance in American government other than as successor to the president. 

Bush '43 gave Cheney a lot of power, effectively making him a kind of co-president.  This was never intended by the framers.   Some vice-presidents have spent little time in Washington during their incumbency, finding better things to do.  Harry Truman famously had not been told of the existence of the Manhattan Project before FDR's easily anticipated death.  Roosevelt evidently did not think that he had a need to know. 

The lawyers can inform as to whether the executive orders through which Cheney was endowed with so much power will automatically lapse wen he and "W" leave office.

Whether they do or not, the next president will have to decide if he wants to cede so much authority to someone who may or may not have the same agenda as he.  The creation of the Cheney premiership gave Cheney a sense of himself that most presidents will not want to see.  When Cheney shot his hunting companion, he did not bother to inform the president for a couple of days in spite of the media problem that this incident was certain to cause.

Both Joe Biden and Sarah Palin are people with strong opinions.   Will the next president want a semi-independent actor on the scene in his administration?

The president needs the help?  No.  The government does not need an alternative locus of power in the executive branch.  pl

2016 - Addendum.  This post was first published in September, 2008.  IMO it should be remembered that the VP is not the president's deputy.  He/she/it is separately elected.  so far as I know they could be of different parties.  pl

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_President_of_the_United_States#Role_of_the_Vice_President

Comments

[turcopolier]

Beaver

Thanks pl

[The Beaver]

@ Les

Donald Trump reportedly plans to delegate all Domestic and Foreign Power to his VP, according to one of his sons.

[Imagine]

How much trouble a politician accomplishes depends partially on the size of his In Box. A President has numerous responsibilities, and so can only move the needle on a few. A VP basically writes his own schedule; thus has much time for mischief.

VP Cheney set up his own shadow government. It is unclear whether this was ever disbanded completely.

VP Biden was instrumental in helping to overthrow Ukraine, and installed his son Hunter as director of Kholomoisky's oil company Burisma. Remember, it's not technically unconstitutional if it's merely family, not YOU. He was also apparently instrumental in overthrowing the government of Brazil:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article45561.htm

Wise Presidents choose VPs with little ambition. Such men can make good "servant leaders" if they come to top power.

[Tol Tapen]

This is a sad spectacle to see so many hardened people taking the constitutional setting of their homeland seriously.
While the USA is oficially classified as a presidential republic it is a republic from purely formalistic POV only, while its president isn't much more than a frontperson for the ruling oligarchy that controls the USA - the "borg's" core if the language of this blog is appropriated.
The core is more like an octopus brain - it always lacks precision of control as far as the tentacles are concerned. These days, just before the elections, its "neural pathways" are partially jammed and the tentacles (politicians, military commanders, etc. trying to save their arses) seem to have the minds of their own. Hence, we see the establishment acting in a bizzare ways, making akward and contradictory statements but soon enough the collective mind shall be restored - the power grab by the oligarchy, of which there isn't a word written in the US constitution, will be complete.

[different clue]

If Trump/Pence got elected, I wonder if Trump would delegate an awful lot of power and authority to Pence. Perhaps Pence would be put in charge of "foreign and domestic policy" and Trump would take charge of "making America great again".

[Stephanie]

Given the lack of definition in the job description, the vice presidency can be pretty much anything the president wants it to be. I would think that an administration where the veep is functioning reasonably happily would be the better for it. Lyndon Johnson was not treated well in the Kennedy Administration (by Kennedy’s people, that is; JFK himself was generally more understanding of LBJ’s sensitivities). This had its negative aftereffects when Johnson got the top spot. (Of course, in turn LBJ couldn’t resist meting out even worse treatment to the unfortunate Humphrey.)

Since Clinton/Gore, there seems to be an assumption that the vice president will be given more to do and have his own sphere. Bush/Cheney went far beyond that, of course. In the Clinton White House there were three loci of power – Clinton, Gore, and Mrs. Clinton – and a similar dynamic can be expected in Clinton II. I understand Kaine was chosen in part because he knows the Clintons well and is unlikely to resent – much - having to compete for the president’s attention and ear with the First Spouse as Gore is said to have done.