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What happens if a U.S. president is medically unfit to serve? It's still unclear.

Stefan Fussan
/
http://j.mp/1SPGCl0
President Harry Truman signed the Presidential Succession Act on July 18, 1947

The Founding Fathers crafted a Constitution that has stood the test of time. But it has required tweaking.

One very important tweak happened on this day in 1947.

That's when President Harry Truman signed the Presidential Succession Act. He was hoping to fix something left not quite finished when the Constitution was ratified back in the 1780s.

To take a look at how the nation has wrestled with the thorny question of  who’s in charge should something dire happen to the president or vice-president, University of Michigan medical historian and PBS contributor Dr. Howard Markel, joined Stateside today.

History shows presidents get sick, they resign, and they are assassinated. The issue of presidential succession was always critical. Below is a list of some instances.

And there are more. 

Listen above to hear why the issue of presidential succession is still unclear.

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Stateside is produced daily by a dedicated group of producers and production assistants. Listen daily, on-air, at 3 and 8 p.m., or subscribe to the daily podcast wherever you like to listen.
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