The position of 'acting president' was created by

• A. an act of Congress
• B. executive reorganization
• C. the Twenty-Fifth Amendment
• D. the original U.S. Constitution

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is how the United States handles presidential succession and temporary transfer of power. The Twenty-Fifth Amendment explicitly creates the mechanism for an “acting president” when the president cannot discharge the duties of office. If the president voluntarily declares an inability in writing, the vice president becomes acting president and can resume once the president notifies that he can resume. If the president is unable to communicate, the vice president and a majority of the cabinet can declare the president unable, making the vice president the acting president until Congress decides the matter. This amendment, ratified in 1967, fills the gap that the original Constitution left regarding temporary incapacity. The other options don’t establish a formal acting-president role: the original Constitution assumes only a full transfer of office upon death, resignation, or removal, and while legislative actions or executive reorganizations can affect succession, they did not create the acting-president mechanism.