What happens if USA needs its 15th person in line for president? Expert explains
Presidential succession plans look good on paper but reality might be different. The system that puts lower-ranked officials in charge during crisis needs more real-world thinking
The US presidential succession system looks nice in theory but its real-world use raises questions. Like those fancy-looking charts showing distant relatives rights to the British crown its more about having a plan than using it
The idea of a lower-ranked cabinet member (such as the Secretary of Transportation) becoming commander-in-chief seems too simple on paper. This scenario would mean that something really bad happened to many high-ranked officials — which is already a big-time crisis for the country
The succession list goes deep into government ranks; however theres a disconnect between theory and reality. In case we need to look that far down the chain-of-command (past the first 10-12 spots) the nations problems would be way bigger than just picking the next person-in-charge. Such an event would create nation-wide chaos — making the neat succession plan seem like a non-important detail in comparison to other urgent issues
