The Economist.
The vice president used to literally be a loser.
In the early days of the Republic, whoever got the most electoral votes became president,
and whoever came second became their number two.
Since the 12th Amendment was ratified in 1804,
presidents and their vice presidential nominees have run on a joint ticket.
Today, the vice presidency is no longer just a consolation prize,
but a signal of how a presidential candidate will govern.
When Donald Trump picked J.D. Vance to be his running mate,
it was seen as doubling down on the MAGA project.
Does the future of MAGA rest in Vance's hands?
I'm John Prideaux, and this is Checks and Balance from The Economist.
Each week we take one big theme shaping American politics and explore it in depth.
Today, the vice presidency of J.D. Vance.
America doesn't have to constantly police every region of the world,
J.D. Vance said on the 2024 campaign trail.
A war with Iran seemed to him a particularly bad idea.
Donald Trump attacked Tehran anyway,
and then tasked his vice president with leading the so far failed peace talks.
What does this say about Vance's standing in the administration?