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Full-Text Articles in Legal History

The Vice Presidency In Five (Sometimes) Easy Pieces, Vikram David Amar Apr 2017

The Vice Presidency In Five (Sometimes) Easy Pieces, Vikram David Amar

Pepperdine Law Review

The public perception of the Vice President is that of an individual with little actual authority, but who has the potential to be thrust into the most powerful office in the world. But the modern Vice President has additional responsibilities that many often forget. Contrary to public perception, the Vice President’s role as President of the Senate carries important Constitutional responsibilities, such as the ability to weigh-in with tie-breaking votes in the Senate or preside over impeachment trials. Though overlooked, these are important and powerful responsibilities. Additionally, the Vice President has assumed the role of Presidential “running mate” and with …


Oh, Vpotus, Where Art Thou? The Constitutional Situs Of The Vice Presidency As Surveyed By A Former Vice Presidential Lawyer, Shannen W. Coffin Apr 2017

Oh, Vpotus, Where Art Thou? The Constitutional Situs Of The Vice Presidency As Surveyed By A Former Vice Presidential Lawyer, Shannen W. Coffin

Pepperdine Law Review

A dispute between a federal oversight authority and the Office of the Vice President (OVP) prompted an unprecedented public discussion regarding the proper location and role of the vice presidency when Dick Cheney’s Chief of Staff challenged an audit of classified information on the grounds that the OVP was not an entity within the Executive Branch. The modern role of the Vice President is generally viewed as advisor and supporter of the President, with all executive authority vested in the President. Conversely, the Vice President presides as President of the Senate, casting tie-breaking votes when necessary. This dual role invokes …


The Vice Presidency In The Twenty-First Century, Jody C. Baumgartner Apr 2017

The Vice Presidency In The Twenty-First Century, Jody C. Baumgartner

Pepperdine Law Review

The vice presidency has undergone almost revolutionary change since its inception 227 years ago. Conceived as a convenient solution to a problem created by the Electoral College, the Vice President has only two constitutional functions—to serve as a successor to the President and as the President of the Senate. However, over the past sixty years, vice presidents have become increasingly part of and integral to American governance, and the last three (Al Gore, Dick Cheney, and Joe Biden) have been exceptionally active executive actors. What was once an all-but forgotten office is now an essential part of a president’s administration. …


The Vice President-More Than An Afterthought?, Richard B. Cheney, Edwin Meese Iii, Douglas W. Kmiec Apr 2017

The Vice President-More Than An Afterthought?, Richard B. Cheney, Edwin Meese Iii, Douglas W. Kmiec

Pepperdine Law Review

A round-table discussion among former U.S. Vice President Richard B. Cheney, Caruso Family Professor of Law and retired U.S. Ambassador Douglas Kmiec, and former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese III considered the practical implications of conceiving the Vice President as a legislative officer, an executive officer, or both. It was noted that until the second half of the twentieth century, the Office of the Vice President was conceived as legislative. Funding for the Office appeared in budget lines relating to Congress and physically, the Vice President’s office was in the Capitol. Beginning with Walter Mondale’s service as Vice President, presidents …


A Constitutional Afterthought: The Origins Of The Vice Presidency, 1787 To 1804, Edward J. Larson Apr 2017

A Constitutional Afterthought: The Origins Of The Vice Presidency, 1787 To 1804, Edward J. Larson

Pepperdine Law Review

At the origins of the office, even though the Vice President was, as its first occupant John Adams declared, “only one breath” away from the presidency, the Office of the Vice President was an afterthought of the Constitutional Convention. Never discussed during the first three months of the four-month long Convention, the Committee of Eleven introduced the vice presidency as a byproduct of how it resolved to fix the presidential selection process. Under this process, the Electoral College emerged, with each state assigned the same number of electors as its members in the House of Representatives and Senate. Each elector …


Failure To Act And The Separation Of Powers-The Vice Presidency And The Need To Surmount Divided Power In Pursuit Of A Workable Government, Douglas W. Kmiec Apr 2017

Failure To Act And The Separation Of Powers-The Vice Presidency And The Need To Surmount Divided Power In Pursuit Of A Workable Government, Douglas W. Kmiec

Pepperdine Law Review

Is the Vice President an executive officer, a legislative officer, or both? This query has existed since the time of the founding. The question poses more difficulty than one might suppose, and it remains unsettled. It can be convenient to ignore questions that one cannot answer, and thus, the Vice President has been the object of political humor and treated as an appendage without present function. Yet, because we attribute great genius to those who drafted the Constitution, what is the effect of leaving this high-ranking officer without adequate definition or purpose? For the first century and a half of …


Negotiating Better Superfund Settlements: Prospects And Protocols, Scott A. Cassel Jan 2013

Negotiating Better Superfund Settlements: Prospects And Protocols, Scott A. Cassel

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


The Implications Of Alternative Dispute Resolution Processes For Decisionmaking In Administrative Disputes, Wallace Warfield Jan 2013

The Implications Of Alternative Dispute Resolution Processes For Decisionmaking In Administrative Disputes, Wallace Warfield

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


The Line-Item Veto: The Best Response When Congress Passes One Spending “Bill” A Year, L. Gordon Crovitz Nov 2012

The Line-Item Veto: The Best Response When Congress Passes One Spending “Bill” A Year, L. Gordon Crovitz

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


Montesquieu's Theory Of Government And The Framing Of The American Constitution , Matthew P. Bergman Nov 2012

Montesquieu's Theory Of Government And The Framing Of The American Constitution , Matthew P. Bergman

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.