The History Behind America’s Designated Survivors

Someone’s got to stay behind to steer the ship if everything goes off course

Image: Wikimedia Commons

As the US Government is considered one of, if not the most powerful ruling body in the world today. Any attack on its members or on the institution itself would almost certainly carry worldwide ramifications.

Thus, America has come up with measures to ensure that even in the most devastating of scenarios, there will always be someone to take the reins as President and ensure the continuity of Government. Enter, the Designated Survivor.

In this article, we will look at what exactly a designated survivor is, what the role entails and why such a role is necessary. Let’s get into the history of America’s designated survivors.

Background

Although it was already uncommon for the entire Line of Succession to be in the same place at the same time, The Cold War created a need to actively keep one member of Cabinet separate from the rest to take over as President in the event of an attack. Image: Wikimedia Commons

Since its earliest days, America has always taken steps to ensure that the continuity of Government is maintained. With instruments such as the Presidential Line of Succession and laws such as The Presidential Succession Act, there was always a hierarchy for who gets to assume office should anything happen to the current…