This work is an analysis of the role of the vice president in foreign policy. Based on the experiences of the five vice presidents who were the most active in global affairs - Nixon, Mondale, Bush, Quayle and Gore - this work analyzes how he should, or should not, be used in US foreign policy.

Since World War II, American vice presidents have played an ever-increasing role in the nation's foreign policy. This study of the foreign-policy activities of five key vice presidents-Richard Nixon, Walter Mondale, George Bush, Dan Quayle, and Al Gore-provides the first comprehensive analysis of the role of the vice president in foreign-policy affairs. In order to bring readers to a better understanding of this role, Paul Kengor asks incisive questions: Did the vice presidents' involvement in foreign policy actually benefit the administration? If so, what useful lessons can be drawn from their experiences? Is there good reason to approve or reject an enhanced role in foreign policy for future vice presidents? How, specifically, might the vice president be used in conducting the nation's international affairs? The answers to these questions are crucial reading for scholars of the presidency and foreign policy, for policy makers, and for all of us assessing vice presidents past and future.