Presidential Succession: The Art of the Possible

This essay advocates for reforming the presidential succession system by working with the system we have, tweaking it in politically feasible ways to make it better, given an understanding of politics as the art of the possible. It defends the line of succession statute on constitutional and policy grounds before advancing recommendations for improving the succession system. The Essay calls for reforms to ensure that legislative successors are members of the president’s political party. It also suggests the creation of a vice Vice President or a body of successors appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate