Keeping a Finger on the Button

Since the founding of the United States of America, the presidential line of succession has been a contentious issue that has plagued US lawmakers. The Constitution dictates the vice president should assume the presidency if the president were to die, resign, or prove unable to fulfill the duties of the position but provided no further guidance. These concerns only increased in the 20th century once the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, China, and others developed the almost cosmic ability to destroy entire countries with a nuclear weapon. It was not until the ratification of the 25th Amendment in 1967 that clarity was provided.Drawing on unmined archives and original interviews, Rebecca Lubot tells the story of how the US lawmakers grappled with issues over presidential succession and inability and vice-presidential vacancy and ultimately ratified the 25th Amendment. Contrary to existing histories, she argues that nuclear anxiety, not just John F. Kennedy’s assassination, played a crucial role in the development of the amendment. She shows how American politics and culture reflected this anxiety, and multiple administrations intensified it through ploys to hold onto power. She also details solutions to the amendment’s gaps, which remain problematic with one of the oldest presidents in American history in office and heightened international tensions not seen since the Cold War. As the threat of accident, miscalculation, or madness looms, never has a book on the intersection of presidential continuity and the nuclear age been more necessary.