THE IMPORTANCE OF VICE PRESIDENTS AND RUNNING MATES: While the vice president is largely viewed as a figurehead in American politics, history shows that a presidential candidate's choice of a running mate can have enormous consequences.

PRESIDENTIAL candidates; VICE-Presidents; DEMOCRATS (United States); UNITED States presidential elections; BALLOTS; PRACTICAL politics; VOTING; CONSTITUTIONAL history; PRESIDENTS of the United States

The article offers information on the selection of a running mate by presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, highlighting the importance of this decision and the historical context of vice presidential selections. Topics include the role of the vice president as a partisan political actor, the minimal attention given to the vice presidency in the U.S. Constitution, and arguments from The Federalist Papers regarding the selection and duties of the vice president.