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Designated survivor

Encyclopedia : D : DE : DES : Designated survivor

A designated survivor is a member of the United States Cabinet who stays at a physically distant, secure, undisclosed location when the country's top leaders, including the president are gathered at a single location in order to maintain continuity of government with regard to presidential succession in the remote possibility of a catastrophic event which could wipe out large portions of the United States' federal government.

During State of the Union Addresses and presidential inaugurations (which almost all top-ranked federal officials attend) one member of the Cabinet, the designated survivor, is kept in a separate, secure, and undisclosed location apart from the rest of the Cabinet should a catastrophic event occur. It is a practice which originated in the darkest days of the Cold War amid fears of a nuclear attack.

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, one Representative and one Senator of each political party have also served as designated survivors concurrently with the Cabinet member, so they can ascend to the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives or President Pro Tempore of the Senate (the offices which are first and second in the line of succession to the Presidency, respectively, after the Vice President).

Contents

List of some designated survivors

*1989, 1993 and 2001 speeches were given by incoming presidents and not formal "State of the Union" addresses

**For the 2005 and 2006 State of the Union addresses, a designated member of the Cabinet was absent. However, in both cases, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), as Senate President Pro Tempore, actually preceded all cabinet members in the line of succession and was not present for the President's speech those nights. Therefore, had a catastrophic event actually occurred, Sen. Stevens would have assumed the Presidency.

Designated survivors in fiction

See also

External links

  Lists of Presidents and Vice Presidents of the United States [http://encycl.opentopia.com/ edit ]
Presidential lists of order Order of service | Birth | Death | Age at accession | Longevity | Military rank | Post-presidency length | Term length | Height | Historical rankings
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Presidential professional life lists Political affiliation | Political occupation | Inaugurations | Doctrines | Pardons | Vetoes | Control of Congress | Served one term or less | Served more than one term | Assassination attempts | Currency appearances | Libraries
Vice President lists Term length | Order by birth | Tie-breaking votes 
Succession Line of succession | Designated survivor
Elections Order by Electoral College margin | 2000 Electors | 2004 electors
Candidates Democratic tickets | Republican tickets | Heights | Who lost their home state | Former presidents who ran again
Unsuccessful candidates Military service | Who received at least one electoral vote
Fictional Fictional Presidents | Fictional Vice Presidents | Fictional Presidential candidates | Fictional presidential succession

 

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