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Nixon was effectively impeached (resigned), but we probably won't see
impeachments anytime soon because US wants to avoid appearance of
politcial removals as much as possible.
The Vice Presidency
- "The Usual Suspect" - chosen to be an acceptable, presidential
candidate: often political experience, liked by party
- "Balance the Ticket" to gain electoral votes
- Geographical balancing (southern, western, midwestern votes, etc)
- Ideological balancing (Clinton+Al Gore, ex.)
- Ex: Reagan and HW Bush
- Demographic balancing
- Obama (young, black) + Biden (experienced/old, white)
- Biden + Kamala
- Used to be very little power/involvement
- Biden, Pence, Cheney had more power than in previous years
- Bush, ex., did not have much power from the president
- Mostly their role is
- Replacement (in case of dead, incapacitated, unavailable)
- President of the Senate
Power to Persuade
- President/VP needs more than formal powers
- Have to win over Washingtonians, by persuasion
- Can directly persuade Congressmen, interest groups, thinktanks
- OR can persuade the people
- Persuade voters to ask their reps/senators
- Rhetorical skills: prepared speech
- also more informal engagement with base
- Resources of the office: influence (Oval Office, etc)
- "Washington Bazaar": engage with news media
Future presidencies
- Presidential Power generally only expands
- Unless drastic changes occur
- Will the president become Arthur Schelinger's "imperial president"
- Used in referenc to Nixon
- More absolute, less checked behavior by the pres.
- Trump's potential coup may realize this
- What makes a relevant president
- Focused energy behind one chief (whatever role they assume)
- Energy
- Dosen't require a specific geographic location like Congress
- "Personal President": president is socially relevant to people
- Trump got votes because he seemed like a normal person
- Bill Clinton, super folksy president
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