What is the most powerful position in the United States government next to being the president?

lanfranco

There's a view that it's the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chairman_of_the_Federal_Reserve Jul 20 07, 10:09 AM

Ingold

Many consider the Chairman of the Board of Governors to be the second most powerful individual in government after the President. http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/abtamerica/federal.htm Jul 20 07, 10:10 AM

BungeeAZ

The president is the most powerful position in the United States Government. Then the Vice President. Should the President die or become incapacitated, the VP assumes the role of the President. If the VP becomes president the VP will appoint a new VP to replace him. If both the President and the VP somehow die or become incapacitated before either can be replaced by appointment, the speaker of the house becomes the President. The Speaker of the house then appoints another Vice President, and the Congress elects another Speaker of the House. Jul 20 07, 5:45 PM

lanfranco

We all know, or should know, the order of "succession". (Well, Alexander Haig didn't seem to know it back in 1981, but he was quickly set straight.) However, the question didn't -- or it didn't seem to me -- to concern the technical line of succession, but rather practical power. I'd say that's a very different thing. Jul 20 07, 5:56 PM

zbeckabee

There is some suggestion that it may well be Chief Justice of the United States. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Justice_of_the_United_States Jul 20 07, 6:57 PM

MonkeyOnALeash

Chairman of the Council On Foreign Relations. AKA Trilateral Commission. http://www.cfr.org/about/people/board_of_directors.html "The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an influential and independent, nonpartisan foreign policy membership organization founded in 1921 and based at 58 East 68th Street (corner Park Avenue) in New York City, with an additional office in Washington, D.C. Through its membership, meetings, and studies, it has been called the most powerful agent of United States foreign policy outside the State Department. It publishes the respected bi-monthly journal Foreign Affairs. It has an extensive website, featuring links to its "think tank", The David Rockefeller Studies Program, other programs and projects, publications, history, biographies of notable directors and other board members, corporate members, and press releases." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_on_Foreign_Relations http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Trilateral_Commission Jul 20 07, 10:22 PM