A designated survivor is a member of the presidential line of succession who remains in a safe location during events where all members could be present. This concept evolved during the Cold War to reduce security vulnerabilities. The identity of the survivor is kept confidential, and legal issues could arise if most of the line of succession were wiped out.
The term “designated survivor” is used in a variety of ways, but in American politics it refers to a member of the presidential line of succession who remains in a safe and distant location when other members of the line of succession are congregated in the same location. Designated survivors are used during the State of the Union address, presidential inaugurations, and other events where all persons in the presidential line of succession could reasonably be expected to gather. The idea behind having a designated survivor is that in the event of a cataclysmic event, at least one person would be around to assume the mantle of the presidency. Members of the presidential line of succession generally alternate as designated survivors.
Security measures
This concept evolved during the Cold War when the US government was concerned about the possibility of a nuclear attack that could wipe out all elected officials at a major event or meeting. There are situations where the president, vice president, speaker of the house, president pro tempore of the senate, and members of the cabinet may be meeting together. These situations could present a significant security vulnerability, and the Designated Survivor concept is designed to reduce that vulnerability.
Confidential identity
The identity of the intended survivor is often kept confidential until the last minute. His whereabouts are always kept private. Along with a survivor designated to assume the presidency, the US government usually also hosts a high-ranking senator who could take over as president pro tempore and a representative who could step in as speaker of the House.
Legal issues
A cataclysmic event that would have required the services of designated survivors was yet to occur in the early 21st century. Many legal problems could arise if most of the people in the presidential line of succession were to be wiped out, especially if Congress was also affected. For example, while it might seem logical to nominate a nominee survivor to be Speaker of the House, the speaker is an elected official, and the House of Representatives should be able to form a quorum to elect the nominee survivor for him or her to be legally empowered. The same goes for the president pro tempore of the Senate, who is also an elected member of the government.
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