Pence has taken care to appear extraordinarily loyal to Trump, so much so that Joel K. Goldstein, a historian and an expert on Vice-Presidents who teaches law at St. Louis University, refers to him as the 鈥淪ycophant-in-Chief.鈥�

-

The modern-day vice president serves primarily as a close presidential adviser and assistant. The vice president鈥檚 move from Capitol Hill to the White House has allowed the office to become a significant institution. But this week, Mike Pence reminded Americans of an older role the vice president also sometimes serves: that of legislative officer who can preside over the Senate.

-

No other powers are specified, but in reality 鈥渢he office has grown into a central part of the presidency,鈥� says Saint Louis University law professor Joel Goldstein. The vice president serves as an 鈥渁cross-the-board adviser and troubleshooter.鈥�

-

The amendment鈥檚 principal author, Sen. Birch Bayh, D.-Ind., embraced an understanding that presidential inability would encompass both physical and mental inability, said Joel Goldstein, a law professor at St. Louis University, who鈥檚 closely studied the congressional record.

-