Q 01/05

Who was the first vice president of the United States?

A) Thomas Jefferson

B) Aaron Burr

C) John Adams

D) George Clinton

Answer · why

C) John Adams

John Adams served as the first vice president, under George Washington from 1789 to 1797, and complained to his wife Abigail that it was 'the most ins...

Q 02/05

Which vice president broke a record for Senate tie-breaking votes that had stood since the 1830s?

A) Mike Pence

B) Dick Cheney

C) John C. Calhoun

D) Kamala Harris

Answer · why

D) Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris: the Senate was split 50-50 when she took office, and in December 2023 she cast her record-breaking 32nd tie-breaking vote.

Q 03/05

Which vice president is credited with the quip 'What this country needs is a really good five-cent cigar'?

A) Thomas R. Marshall

B) Charles W. Fairbanks

C) James S. Sherman

D) Alben W. Barkley

Answer · why

A) Thomas R. Marshall

Thomas R. Marshall: in the most repeated version, he whispered it to a Senate clerk while a senator droned on about what the country needed.

Q 04/05

Before the Twelfth Amendment, who became vice president?

A) The president's own pick

B) The presidential runner-up

C) The Secretary of State

D) The winner of a separate vote

Answer · why

B) The presidential runner-up

The presidential runner-up: so the 1796 election left a Federalist president serving with his chief rival, a Republican, as vice president.

Q 05/05

Which body chose the winner after Jefferson's 1800 electoral tie?

A) The House

B) The Senate

C) The Supreme Court

D) State legislatures

Answer · why

A) The House

The House: members needed 36 ballots to elect Jefferson, and the stalemate led to the Twelfth Amendment.