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The name comes from the Latin vice meaning in place of.
In politics, a vice president is a politician whose primary function is to repalce the president on the event of his or her death or resignation.
Vice Presidents are often elected jointly with the president as his or her running mate, elected separately, or appointed independently after the president's election.
Governments with vice presidents generally have only one person holding this role and generally if the president is not present, dies, resigns, or is otherwise unable to fulfill his job, the vice president will serve as a president. In many presidential systems, the vice president does not wield much day to day political power, but is still considered an important member of the cabinet. Many Vice Presidents in the Americas hold the symbolic position of President of the Senate.
The vice president can sometimes assume some of the symbolic and less important functions of president, such as some ceremonial functions and events that the actual president may be too busy to attend; the Vice President of the United States, for example often attends funerals of world leaders on behalf of the president. In this capacity the vice president may thus assume the role of a de facto symbolic Head of State, a position which is lacking in a system of government where the powers of head of state and government are fused.
In parliamentary systems, most states do not have a vice president but instead name another office-holder, often the chairperson or president of the upper house of parliament or even the prime minister to act as effective vice president. In the Republic of IrelandThe Republic of Ireland ( Irish: Poblacht na hEireann is the common term for a state which covers approximately five-sixths of the island of Ireland, off the coast of northwest Europe. It is the western-most state of the European Union. The remaining sixt, a collective vice presidency exists called the Presidential CommissionThe Presidential Commission ( Irish: Coimisiun Uachtaran is the collective vice-presidency of the Republic of Ireland. Membership Three members serve on the Presidential Commission. Irish Chief Justice Ceann Comhairle speaker of Dail Eireann Cathaoirleach, made up of chairmen of House of Representatives and the Senate, along with the Irish Chief Justice. In GermanyThe Federal Republic of Germany ( German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland is one of the world's leading industrialized countries, located in the middle of the European Union. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark and the Baltic Sea, to the east, the de facto vice president is the president of the BundesratThe Bundesrat German for "Federal Council", is a political institution in several countries: Bundesrat of Austria ( legislative) Bundesrat of Germany (legislative) Bundesrat of Switzerland: the Swiss Federal Council ( executive). (parliament) and in FranceThe French Republic or France ( French: Republique francaise or France is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. it is the speaker of the SenateA senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. The word senate is derived from the Latin word senex (old man), via the Latin word senatus (senate). The Latin word senator has been adopted by English with no change in s.
In some countries, the Vice President is called the Deputy President.
Some notable Vice Presidents from history have included: