AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Another Way, by Lawrence Lessig
Another Way To Elect A President: The VP's Role (Part 9)
Nov 3, 2020
David Fontana, a legal expert from GW Law, joins to unpack the Vice President's constitutional role in the electoral vote counting process. He highlights historical tensions, referencing moments like Bush vs. Gore and the contentious elections of 1796 and 1800. The discussion delves into the Electoral Count Act and legal frameworks influencing the Vice President's authority. Fontana also explores the implications of procedural irregularities and the necessity of congressional unity, urging reflection on the evolving complexities of American democracy.
56:31
Episode guests
AI Summary
AI Chapters
Episode notes
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- The Constitution assigns the vice president a critical but ambiguous role in counting electoral votes, lacking clear guidelines for managing disputes.
- Historical precedents from vice presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson illustrate that political context often influences how electoral disputes are resolved.
Deep dives
The Constitutional Role of the Vice President
The role of the vice president as presiding officer of the Senate during the counting of electoral votes is both critical and ambiguous. The Constitution designates the vice president as the custodian of the electoral ballots but offers little guidance on how to manage disputes over vote counting. This constitutional framework raises questions about whether the vice president possesses unilateral power to decide which electoral votes to count, particularly during contested elections. Historical cases, notably the elections of 1796 and 1800, highlight the potential conflict of interest when the vice president is a candidate for the presidency.
Get the Snipd
podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any
moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share
& Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode