Down through history, the private papers of vice presidents reveal a lot of complaints about just how unsatisfying the role can be.

Highly visible, sure. Perks like Air Force 2 and a fancy government

furnished home, a full staff at a seat at the table at cabinet meetings, in modern times, absolutely.

And yet, these public servants who often feel sidelined and superfluous are literally a heartbeat

away from a staggering amount of power and responsibility.

From KERA in Dallas, this is think. I'm Chris Boyd.

The role of the vice president has actually evolved a great deal from its earliest,

not very detailed description in the Constitution.

But little by little, the events of history have served to define and refine what a

vice president is meant to do beyond being ready in the event something could happen to the person

who holds the job they most covet. Michelle Ferrari is writer, producer, and director of the

American Experience documentary that explores this evolution. It's called the American Vice President.

Michelle, welcome to think.

Great to be with you.

Thanks for having me.

The vice presidency really is a weird job.

Like, we want this person to be qualified to run the country at a moment's notice.

But in the meantime, the job is not viewed as all that relevant.

And many vice presidents have found this

frustrating. That's absolutely true. The vice president's role depends very much on this

president he's serving with, he or she is serving with. And until very recently in our history,

most presidents did not regard their vice president as a partner in

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