Answers -- Fun, Facts, and Trivia
September 2003 Issue

The Dirksen Center wants to help teachers teach better by giving them the opportunity to use technology to create, customize, and share online learning activities in their classrooms. The Center wants to help students learn more by bringing educational resources together in one place that provide new ways to learn about Congress interactively.

Vice-President Verbatim

You know the presidents, but do you know their vice-presidents? See how much you know, take the trivia quiz posted on Congress for Kids. Find U.S. Vice-Presidents at: http://www.congressforkids.net/games/Elections_eletionpres/2_electionofpresident.htm

1. True or False: Provided in the 25th Amendment, the president must nominate a new vice-president who must be confirmed by a majority vote of both houses of Congress. Under this procedure set out in the 25th Amendment, Gerald Ford was the first vice-president appointed and confirmed, and Nelson Rockefeller was the second.
Answer: True -- After Gerald Ford became president following the resignation of Richard Nixon in 1974, he appointed Rockefeller as his vice-president. However, when the time came in 1976 for Ford to run in his own right, he passed over Rockefeller and selected Bob Dole as his running mate.

2. When no vice-presidential candidate receives a majority of votes in the Electoral College, then the Senate selects the winner, just as the House does in the case where no presidential candidate has received a majority. Who is the only vice-president to be selected in this fashion?

A) Richard M. Johnson - In 1836, Van Buren received a majority of Electoral votes for president. However, his running mate, Johnson, did not and the Senate then selected him under the procedure set out in the 12th Amendment.
B) Aaron Burr
C) Elbridge Gerry
D) Martin Van Buren

3. John C. Calhoun was vice-president under both John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. Which of the following was also vice-president under two different presidents?

A) Millard Fillmore
B) Thomas Hendricks
C) George Clinton - Clinton was vice-president during Jefferson's second term, and again during Madison's first term. Neither Clinton nor Calhoun completed their second terms - Clinton died in 1812, before his term under Madison ended, and Calhoun resigned before the end of his term under Jackson, in protest over the tariff issue.
D) Daniel D. Tompkins

Answers to the August issue of Fun, Facts, and Trivia link here: http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia0803ans.htm

Do you have or know of an online activity you would like The Dirksen Congressional Center to feature on its new Web site for students -- Congress for Kids? The Center is currently seeking online activities that provide new ways to learn about Congress and the workings of the federal government interactively.

If you have questions or suggestions for online activities, contact Cindy Koeppel.