On January 20, Kamala Harris became the vice president of the United States – the first woman, the first person of South Asian descent, and the first African American to do so. Harris also became the first vice president to have graduated from a historically black college or university.
Each of these achievements is significant in its own right. However, the vice presidency itself has traditionally been a relatively insignificant position, though the office has become more influential in recent years.
The ‘most insignificant’ office?
The role of vice president is only mentioned in the US Constitution a handful of times. Article I, Section 3 says that the vice president “shall be President of the Senate but shall have no Vote” except in the event of a tie. Normally, ties are rare, but…