The History of Presidential Succession
The Presidential Succession Act of 1947, also known as the Presidential Succession Act and the 1947 Act, is a federal statute that established the presidential line of succession in the United States. It is the most recent law to regulate the order of succession to the office of President of the United States in the event that the incumbent President is unable to serve.
Evolution of Presidential Succession
The first attempt to establish a system of presidential succession in the United States was in 1792, when the first Congress passed the Presidential Succession Act. This act established a line of succession that began with the Vice President and included the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate. This system remained in place until 1886, when the act was amended to provide for the establishment of a cabinet-level Department of State and a Secretary of State to act as the President’s successor in the event of his death, resignation, or disability.
In 1886, the Presidential Succession Act was amended again, this time providing for the Secretary of the Treasury to act as the President’s successor in the event of the Vice President’s death, resignation, or disability. This system remained in place until 1947, when the Presidential Succession Act was amended to provide for the succession of the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate after the Secretary of State.
The 1947 Presidential Succession Act
The 1947 Presidential Succession Act was the first major overhaul of the Presidential Succession system since 1886. It established a new order of succession that began with the Vice President and included the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate. It also provided for the succession of the Cabinet secretaries in order of the creation of their respective departments.
The 1947 Act also provided for the appointment of a new Cabinet position, the Secretary of Defense, and established the Secretary of Defense as the first in line of succession after the Vice President. This was done to ensure that a qualified military officer was always available to assume the office of President in the event of an emergency.
The 1947 Act also provided for the establishment of an emergency council of presidential advisors, known as the Executive Council of the President, to advise the President in the event of a national emergency. This council was composed of the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the three members of the Cabinet most closely associated with the President.
Modern Presidential Succession
Since 1947, there have been several changes to the Presidential Succession Act. In 1967, the 25th Amendment was ratified, which provided for the succession of the Vice President in the event of the President’s death, resignation, or disability. In 1986, the Presidential Succession Act was amended to provide for the succession of the Secretary of Homeland Security after the Vice President and the Secretary of Defense.
In 2006, the Presidential Succession Act was amended again to provide for the succession of the Secretary of the Interior after the Secretary of Homeland Security. In 2013, the Presidential Succession Act was amended yet again to provide for the succession of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs after the Secretary of the Interior.
Today, the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 is still in effect, and the current order of succession is as follows:
- Vice President
- Speaker of the House
- President Pro Tempore of the Senate
- Secretary of State
- Secretary of the Treasury
- Secretary of Defense
- Secretary of Homeland Security
- Secretary of the Interior
- Secretary of Veterans Affairs