Essential Question: What issues prompted the creation of your amendment?
It was on this day in 1967 that two states, Nevada and Minnesota, made the Constitution’s 25th Amendment a reality, clearing up questions about presidential secession that dated back to the Founders’ time.
President John F. Kennedy’s death on November 22, 1963 led a united Congress to push for the key constitutional change. Kennedy’s assassination created moments of chaos in the federal government that afternoon. Vice President Lyndon Johnson was in the same motorcade as Kennedy, and there were early, erroneous reports that Johnson was also wounded.
As the country came to grips with the assassination, Johnson made sure the moment when he took the oath of office, about two hours after Kennedy’s death, was documented, so the nation knew a constitutional change of office had taken place.
Kennedy’s sudden passing accelerated an argument about a constitutional change that had been in the works in Congress in 1963.
Technically, the Constitution never spelled out how a Vice President would become President if a President died, resigned or was unable to perform the office’s duty.
This oversight became apparent in 1841, when the newly elected President, William Henry Harrison, died about a month after becoming President. Vice President John Tyler, in a bold move, settled the political debate about succession.
There was a question in Congress about what powers Tyler had and what he should be called (Acting President, President or Vice President). Tyler settled the debate by asking a local judge to administer the presidential oath, and he fought all attempts by his many political foes to treat him as anything but the legitimate President of the United States. -Will
Essential Question II: What were the effects on society at that time?
The 25th Amendment was created in 1967, four years after President Kennedy was assassinated, as a way to clear up important questions about presidential succession. The Amendment would make it clear to the government and to all Americans who their president would be if the acting president died while in office, or resigned or was unable to "discharge the powers and duties of his office."
Other presidents had died in office in the past before Kennedy and had been replaced by their Vice President, However, questions about what would happen and who would take over as president in the U.S. if the acting president didn't die but resigned or could not "discharge the powers and duties of his office" -- for example, if he had a heart attack and was in the hospital -- had confused and concerned many people. It was very important that these concerns got cleared up.
During this time in the U.S., there were a lot of things happening. For example, there were major movements and marches going on for civil rights and equal rights for all Americans, there were protests happening throughout the country against the U.S. fighting a war in Vietnam, and the country was involved in a "cold war" with the world's other superpower, the Soviet Union, that had everyone worried about nuclear war.
The last thing Americans needed to worry about was who would become president if their acting president could not continue as president for the reasons described above. The 25th Amendment helped resolve this concern. -Will
1. What happens if Vice President resigns- The Speaker of the House takes over -Will 2. What happens if President has to leave {ex. surgery}- Vice President takes over -Adni 3. What if the Vice President refuses to step up to president- The Speaker of the House will come up and take over the spot of President -Will 4. What would happen if amendment didn't exist- America would be unsafe because it wouldn't have a leader in charge to protect us. -Adni 5. When was the amendment made? July 6th 1965- Will 6. Who becomes Vice President when VP steps up?- The new president will select someone to become VP- Will 7. Does the VP have to take the oath of office when he takes over?- Yes- Will 8. Why did it take so long for the amendment to be created?- Nobody felt like dealing with it until the assassination of John F Kennedy- Will 9. What if Congress doesn't approve of the new president's choice for VP?- The new President has to keep presenting another choice for new VP- Will 10. Why was the 25th Amendment invoked in 1974? President Nixon resigned from office in the middle of his term, so Vice President Ford took over as President-Will
The Twenty-Fifth Amendment
Essential Question: What issues prompted the creation of your amendment?It was on this day in 1967 that two states, Nevada and Minnesota, made the Constitution’s 25th Amendment a reality, clearing up questions about presidential secession that dated back to the Founders’ time.
President John F. Kennedy’s death on November 22, 1963 led a united Congress to push for the key constitutional change. Kennedy’s assassination created moments of chaos in the federal government that afternoon. Vice President Lyndon Johnson was in the same motorcade as Kennedy, and there were early, erroneous reports that Johnson was also wounded.
As the country came to grips with the assassination, Johnson made sure the moment when he took the oath of office, about two hours after Kennedy’s death, was documented, so the nation knew a constitutional change of office had taken place.
Kennedy’s sudden passing accelerated an argument about a constitutional change that had been in the works in Congress in 1963.
Technically, the Constitution never spelled out how a Vice President would become President if a President died, resigned or was unable to perform the office’s duty.
This oversight became apparent in 1841, when the newly elected President, William Henry Harrison, died about a month after becoming President. Vice President John Tyler, in a bold move, settled the political debate about succession.
There was a question in Congress about what powers Tyler had and what he should be called (Acting President, President or Vice President). Tyler settled the debate by asking a local judge to administer the presidential oath, and he fought all attempts by his many political foes to treat him as anything but the legitimate President of the United States. -Will
Essential Question II: What were the effects on society at that time?
The 25th Amendment was created in 1967, four years after President Kennedy was assassinated, as a way to clear up important questions about presidential succession. The Amendment would make it clear to the government and to all Americans who their president would be if the acting president died while in office, or resigned or was unable to "discharge the powers and duties of his office."
Other presidents had died in office in the past before Kennedy and had been replaced by their Vice President, However, questions about what would happen and who would take over as president in the U.S. if the acting president didn't die but resigned or could not "discharge the powers and duties of his office" -- for example, if he had a heart attack and was in the hospital -- had confused and concerned many people. It was very important that these concerns got cleared up.
During this time in the U.S., there were a lot of things happening. For example, there were major movements and marches going on for civil rights and equal rights for all Americans, there were protests happening throughout the country against the U.S. fighting a war in Vietnam, and the country was involved in a "cold war" with the world's other superpower, the Soviet Union, that had everyone worried about nuclear war.
The last thing Americans needed to worry about was who would become president if their acting president could not continue as president for the reasons described above. The 25th Amendment helped resolve this concern. -Will
1. What happens if Vice President resigns- The Speaker of the House takes over -Will
2. What happens if President has to leave {ex. surgery}- Vice President takes over -Adni
3. What if the Vice President refuses to step up to president- The Speaker of the House will come up and take over the spot of President -Will
4. What would happen if amendment didn't exist- America would be unsafe because it wouldn't have a leader in charge to protect us. -Adni
5. When was the amendment made? July 6th 1965- Will
6. Who becomes Vice President when VP steps up?- The new president will select someone to become VP- Will
7. Does the VP have to take the oath of office when he takes over?- Yes- Will
8. Why did it take so long for the amendment to be created?- Nobody felt like dealing with it until the assassination of John F Kennedy- Will
9. What if Congress doesn't approve of the new president's choice for VP?- The new President has to keep presenting another choice for new VP- Will
10. Why was the 25th Amendment invoked in 1974? President Nixon resigned from office in the middle of his term, so Vice President Ford took over as President- Will
Bibliography:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxxv ,
http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2015/08/what-happens-if-a-vice-president-resigns-and-nobody-takes-his-place/ ,
http://www.factcheck.org/2008/04/replacing-the-vice-president/