What Is a Vice-President - And Why?

Written By: Wendy McElroy  |  Posted: Thursday, January 5th, 2012

            John Adams, the first vice-president of the United States (1789-1797), once exclaimed, "My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived."

            A century later, there seemed to be little change. The 28th vice-president of the United States, Thomas R. Marshall (1913-1921) once stated, "There were two brothers: one ran away to sea, the other was elected Vice-President. And nothing was ever heard from either of them again."

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