'The most insignificant office': John Adams didn't think much of his job as Vice President. But recent Presidents are giving their understudies a lot more to do.

Bill Richardson, New Mexico's Governor, is already asking people if he should accept the job if it's offered. Senator John Edwards said he wouldn't take it--but that was when he was running for President. Gen. Wesley K. Clark is said to covet the job so much that he no sooner ended his own presidential bid than he endorsed Senator John Kerry, the likely presidential nominee.

The job in question is the vice-presidential spot on the Democratic ticket, and leading Democrats have begun the process of quiet jockeying, modest flattery, and studied indifference that they hope makes them Kerry's choice as running mate. It's the traditional vice-presidential mating dance--a complicated ritual that breaks out every four years among contenders in the party not currently in the White House.

For much of American history, the vice presidency has been more a target for jokes than a sought after job. George Clinton, Thomas Jefferson's Vice President, called his job a "respectable retirement," after 18 years as Governor of New York. In 1848, Senator Daniel Webster turned down an offer to be Zachary Taylor's vice-presidential running mate: "I do not propose to be buried until I am really dead." And John Nance Garner, Franklin D. Roosevelt's Vice President for his first two terms (1933-41), said the job wasn't worth a bucket of warm spit, or something cruder.

But the importance of the vice presidency has since increased, and in the 20th century, a significant number of Vice Presidents moved on to the Oval Office. Some ascended after the death of the President: Theodore Roosevelt in 1901, alter William McKinley's assassination; Calvin Coolidge in 1923, after the death of Warren G. Harding; Harry Truman in 1945, after FDR's death; and Lyndon B. Johnson in 1963, after John F. Kennedy's assassination. (All four were later elected to full terms on their own.)

RIVALS VS. RUNNING MATES 

More recently, Richard Nixon, who served under Dwight D. Eisenhower, and George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan's No. 2, were later elected President on their own. And Gerald Ford became President after Nixon's resignation in 1974.

In the early days of the United States, the Vice President was not a running mate, but a rival: The Constitution made the Vice President--who presides over the Senate and breaks tie votes--the candidate who finished second in the presidential election. This meant the President and Vice President would very likely be opponents, as was the case after the election to succeed George Washington in 1796, when Thomas Jefferson became Vice President after losing the presidency to John Adams. The system in use today--the joint election of the President and Vice President--took effect in 1804 with the ratification of the 12th Amendment.

Even after that change, few Presidents shared significant power with their Vice Presidents, who were often relegated to ceremonial duties.

In recent years, however, the office has gained more importance and respect. Al Gore, who served under Bill Clinton, and now Vice President Dick Cheney, have been among the most active and powerful in history. (President Bush has said that Cheney will again be his running mate on the Republican ticket this year.)

Presidential candidates have chosen vice-presidential candidates to provide balance (a Northern presidential candidate might seek a Southern running mate); to offset a perceived weakness (Bush, who had little foreign policy or Washington experience, chose Cheney, with a long Washington resume, including Secretary of Defense); to help win a key state (Kennedy chose Johnson in 1960 to help win LBJ's home state of Texas): or to make a statement, or even history (Democrat Walter Mondale chose Representative Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, the first woman to run for Vice President).

Kerry could announce his choice as soon as April or May, or wait until the Democratic National Convention in Boston in July. In the meantime, speculation over who he will select is likely to intensify. (Whether the names the media focus on have any relation to Kerry's actual list is another question.)

Potential candidates are polishing their resumes--all the while feigning a lack of interest. Don't be fooled by that, cautions Senator John B. Breaux (D-La.). "If anybody tells you they wouldn't be interested in being Vice President," he says, "they're not telling you the truth."

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

* Why do you think the Founding Fathers prescribed such limited duties for Vice Presidents?

* Why might a President want (or not want) a Vice President to take on critical political, economic, or other related responsibilities?

TEACHING OBJECTIVES

To help students understand the vice presidency, specifically how it has historically been regarded as an unimportant job and why it has gained in importance in recent years.

CLASSROOM STRATEGIES

* CRITICAL THINKING: As the article reports, humorists have often nipped at the heels of Vice Presidents. (In a 1931 Broadway musical, a Vice President is seen mingling with a tour group so that he can gain entry to the White House, Theatergoers knew the target was Charles Curtis, Herbert Hoover's nearly invisible Vice President.)

But the humor masks a more serious question. Ask students why they think Vice Presidents have historically been shunted away from the spotlight of political power. Are Presidents by nature protective of their powers and unwilling to share the limelight?

Note that the official duties of Vice Presidents are limited--presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes in the Senate. Ask students to draw up a more comprehensive job description. What other duties might Vice Presidents take on? (Diplomatic missions and chairing important commissions are two possible suggestions.)

GEOGRAPHY STRATEGY: The article notes that one consideration Democratic strategists are studying is whether a potential vice presidential candidate could help win a key state in the November election. Ask students whether they think it is important to have geographical balance on a presidential ticket. Are voters more likely to support a presidential candidate from another region if the vice presidential candidate is from their region?

FAST FACT: Remind students that Vice Presidents can suddenly shift from obscurity to center stage. Eight Vice Presidents have succeeded Presidents who died in office. Gerald Ford succeeded President Richard Nixon, who resigned in disgrace during the Watergate scandal in 1974.

WEB WATCH: www.vicepresidents.com/ provides vice presidential biographies, fun facts, and other information about Vice Presidents and the office.

Upfront QUIZ 1

THE VICE PRESIDENCY > MULTIPLE CHOICE > PAGES 8-9 DIRECTIONS: Circle the tatter next to the best answer.

1. If a President dies in office, the Vice President automatically becomes President, as was the case with

a Walter F. Mondale. b Lyndon B. Johnson. c Herbert C. Hoover. d Dwight D. Eisenhower.

2. During the earliest days of the United States, the Vice President won office

a through election by the Senate. b through election by both houses of Congress. c by being chosen by the elected President. d by placing second in the presidential election.

3. The current method of electing Presidents and Vice Presidents came into being as a result of

a the 12th Amendment to the Constitution in 1804.

b a Supreme Court ruling in 1799.

c a law passed by Congress in 1812.

d the adoption of British election rules in 1820.

4. The key duties of Vice Presidents are

a delivering two annual addresses to Congress on the state of the nation.

b presiding over the President's Cabinet meetings.

c presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes in that body.

d conferring with foreign ambassadors.

5. In practice, Vice Presidents have historically been relegated to officiating at

a opening sessions of the Supreme Court.

b ceremonial functions.

c congressional committee meetings.

d presidential inaugurals.

6. Two recent Vice Presidents who were elected President were George H.W. Bush, the current President's father, and

a Dan Quayle.

b Richard Nixon.

c Jimmy Carter.

d Walter Mondale.

Upfront Quiz 1, page TE5

1. (b) Lyndon B, Johnson.

2. (d) by placing second in the presidential election.

3. (a) the 12th Amendment to the Constitution in 1804.

4. (c) to preside over the Senate and vote when Senate votes are tied.

5. (b) ceremonial functions.

6. (b) Richard Nixon.

Todd S. Purdum is a correspondent in the Washington bureau of The New York Times. With additional reporting by Peter Vilbig.