After the U.S. presidency expires, why doesn't anyone turn around and become vice president?
In the American political system, the president and vice president run together, and their relationship is like that of the leader and assistant of a team. However, in the history of the United States, we find an interesting phenomenon: once presidents have reached the end of their term, they usually choose to leave the political arena rather than return to the position of vice president. Why is that?
First, let's be clear that the term of office of the President of the United States is limited. According to the U.S. Constitution, a president may not serve more than two consecutive four-year terms. This means that after two terms as presidents, they will have to hand over power to a new leader, whether they want it or not. And the vice president has the same term as the president, which is also four years. Therefore, when the president's term of office expires, the vice president's term ends at the same time. Common sense extrapolates that if a person has already served as president, it does not seem to be in line with their expectations and ambitions to serve as vice president again.
Second, there is a clear gap between the political status and power of the president and vice president of the United States. Although the Vice President may act as President in his absence or for any reason unable to exercise his powers, in peacetime, the Vice President has relatively little authority and is primarily responsible for assisting the President in handling government affairs and coordinating the work of various government departments. And once elected president, they will become the central figures in American politics and hold the supreme power of the country. Therefore, for those who have been presidents, returning to the position of vice president means a serious decline in power and status, which they are probably unwilling to accept.
In addition, the President of the United States enjoys abundant benefits and high honors after leaving office. Under the U.S. Constitution, outgoing presidents receive a lifetime pension and have their own office space and staff. In addition, the outgoing president also enjoys other privileges such as security protection, travel allowances, etc. For outgoing presidents, these treatments are both an affirmation of their past contributions and a respect for their future. And for those who have served as presidents, returning to the position of vice president means giving up these benefits and honors, which they may not want.
Finally, from a personal development perspective, U.S. presidents often choose to pursue other careers after leaving office, such as writing, speaking, teaching, etc. These careers allow them to continue to use their talents and influence, as well as allow them to earn a good income. And for those who have served as presidents, returning to the vice presidency would mean giving up these development opportunities, which they are probably not willing to do.
To sum up, after the expiration of the term of office of the president of the United States, few people will choose to go back to be vice president. This is mainly due to the apparent disparity between the term of office, status, powers and personal development of the president and the vice president, which makes the outgoing president reluctant to return to the position of vice president. Of course, this does not mean that the president of the United States is completely insulated from politics after leaving office. In fact, many outgoing presidents continue to participate in politics by speaking, writing, teaching, etc., and contribute to the development of American politics.