What modern Vice-President has broken the most U.S. Senate ties?
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
According to the visual above what modern Vice-President has broken the most ties in the U.S. Senate?
According to the visual above what how many Senate ties has that modern Vice-President broken?
According to the Article I, Section 3 of the U,S. Constitution, “The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.” Vice-Presidents may break ties in the Senate. Why do you think the Constitution gave the VEEP tie breaking privileges in the Senate (100 members) and not the House (435 members)?
How many different branches of government is the Vice-President a member of?
Republicans will kick off the 119th Congress with a five-seat majority in the U.S. House of Representatives – the smallest margin of control in modern history. Their grip could become even more tenuous as three Republican seats are expected to be vacant in early 2025 until special elections are held. Republicans’ majority in the Senate is set to be lean as well. They’ll hold 53 of 100 seats, with a potential tiebreaking vote from incoming Vice President JD Vance. How will this slim Republican Senate majority impact the power of individual Senators?
Democrats held a record 68% of House seats in the 89th Congress (1965-67) and a record 66% of Senate seats in the 88th Congress (1963-65). Explain how large majorities like these would impact a president’s ability to govern.
Explain the connection between political polarization - the divergence of political attitudes away from the center, towards ideological extremes - and the number of ties VEEPS have broken in recent years.
When Joe Biden was VPOTUS he broke zero ties in his eight years in office as Obama’s second in command. What conclusion can you draw about why Biden cast zero votes in the Senate?
According to the visual below* describe one trend in House and Senate majorities over time.
President Trump will take office on January 20, 2025. He will come to office with his party controlling very slim majorities in both chambers - 53% of the Senate and 51% of the House. Based on recent history, describe how often you think his VEEP, J.D. Vance will have to break ties in the Senate.
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Make a prediction of how many times J.D. Vance will break Senate ties during the Trump presidency and share your estimation with your classmates and with J.D. Vance on Twitter @JDVance
Get Creative
You have to admit that if breaking the occasional tie is the best thing about being VEEP then the job of Vice President is pretty lousy! I asked AI to write a poem about how boring it would be to be VP. Here’s what they came up with. See if you and AI can come up with something better.
In gilded cage, the Vice President resides,
Where boredom's weight, like lead, abides.
A heartbeat from the Oval's grand display,
Yet trapped in waiting, day by day.
Meetings and speeches, a scripted affair,
While power and action reside elsewhere.
A smile plastered, a nod and a wave,
In monotony's grasp, a silent slave.
Oh, the tedium of ceremonial duty,
A life of second place, devoid of beauty.
While the President takes the world's grand stage,
The Vice President's role, a gilded cage.
The endless wait, the stifled yawn,
In boredom's abyss, a new day dawns.
The Vice President's fate, a tale untold,
Of a life unlived, in boredom's hold.
Learn More
Read his Pew Report on narrow majorities in the U.S. Congress. Warning - Parental Advisory - Explicit Content.
