Changes

==Purpose==

==Purpose==

[[File:Economist July 2024.PNG|right|300px|thumb|]]

[[File:Economist July 2024.PNG|right|300px|thumb|]]

This Amendment was adopted in response to President Eisenhower's heart attack and the assassination of President Kennedy.  There were earlier concerns about operation of Executive Branch duties when President Wilson had a very disabling stroke but stayed in power because his wife and the White House concealed the illness<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/woodrowwilson|title=Woodrow Wilson|accessdate=January 11, 2015}}</ref>, along with the sudden and unexpected death of President Roosevelt (Franklin) while on vacation.

This Amendment was adopted in response to President Eisenhower's heart attack and the assassination of President Kennedy.  There were earlier concerns about operation of Executive Branch duties when President Wilson had a very disabling stroke but stayed in power because his wife and the White House concealed the illness<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/woodrowwilson|title=Woodrow Wilson|accessdate=January 11, 2015}}</ref>, along with the sudden and unexpected death of President Roosevelt (Franklin) while on vacation.  In addition, although every Vice President who ascended to the office of President in mid-term is considered in the line of Presidential succession, there had been questions as to whether they were the actual President or only an "acting" President.

Given the pressure of the [[Cold War]] to have a President always available to provide leadership, even in the event of an illness, a clear procedure was needed to define who could make decisions as Commander-in-Chief.  Some argued that the amendment could be misused to authorize the president to handpick his successor by (1) obtaining the resignation of the vice-president, (2) appointing a new vice-president, and then (3) resigning.  Six years later, President Nixon handpicked the future President Ford in this manner, without Ford ever being elected president.  (Of course, Vice President Ford was confirmed by the United States Congress, and stood for re-election in 1976.)

Given the pressure of the [[Cold War]] to have a President always available to provide leadership, even in the event of an illness, a clear procedure was needed to define who could make decisions as Commander-in-Chief.  Some argued that the amendment could be misused to authorize the president to handpick his successor by (1) obtaining the resignation of the vice-president, (2) appointing a new vice-president, and then (3) resigning.  Six years later, President Nixon handpicked the future President Ford in this manner, without Ford ever being elected president.  (Of course, Vice President Ford was confirmed by the United States Congress, and stood for re-election in 1976.)