In the last fifty years, and especially during the most recent presidential administrations, the office of the vice-president has grown from a position of relative powerlessness to one of some importance. The vice-president’s official responsibilities are few: should the president die or be deemed unable to fill his or her position, the vice-president takes on the role of president; the vice-president is also the official head of the Senate and has the power to cast a tie-breaking vote. In recent times, however, presidents have begun to allow their vice-presidents to become more involved in the policy process and have allowed them greater access to White House resources.

The vice-president now meets often with the president, has an office in the White House and a staff of his or her own. Although these are privileges granted by the president and could be removed at any time, the likelihood that this will happen decreases as the practices become more institutionalized. It has been suggested that the fact that these privileges were retained during the tenure of Dan Quayle (George Bush’s vicepresident), who was widely regarded as a poor choice for the job, indicates their likely permanence.

The manner and method of choosing the vice-president have also changed over the years. For almost the whole first half of the twentieth century vice-presidential candidates were chosen by party bosses. This changed in 1940 when Franklin Roosevelt insisted on choosing his own runningmate. This practice has remained in place allowing presidents to choose vice-presidents with whom they are compatible. Before this time, it was not unusual for vice-presidents to disagree openly with presidents under whom they were serving; it is almost unheard of today The greater compatibility between vice-president and president has also facilitated the expansion of the vice-president’s powers and responsibilities.

Many vice-presidents have gone on to run successfully for the presidency. Holding the office of vice-president can aid a politician by providing national name recognition and executive experience; however, there are also drawbacks. Because vice-presidents are expected to support the president, it can be difficult for them to create their own political identity in the eyes of the public. It was widely believed that George Bush suffered from this problem. Although Reagan was very popular, Bush was often regarded as unable to form opinions independent of the president. Matters became even more complex as questions arose regarding Bush’s role in the Iran-Contra affair. Al Gore, who has longstanding presidential ambitions, has faced a similar dilemma in dealing with the scandals surrounding Bill Clinton; he had to support the president while distancing himself from Clinton’s actions. This balance is difficult to maintain and can make it especially difficult for former vice-presidents to run for president.