In a few short weeks, the House of Representatives has gone into a complete tailspin. House Speaker John Boehner announced his impending resignation, his presumed successor Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy bowed out of a race, and the Republicans are wildly looking for anyone to take the job. In addition to prominent members of Congress like Paul Ryan and Trey Gowdy, there has also been a series of past elected officials mentioned — including Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Dick Cheney.

The Speaker of the House is an unusual position — it is specifically called for in the Constitution, but there is no requirement that the Speaker actually be an elected representative. The Speaker is also second in line for the presidency, after the vice president, which raises the important question: Should someone from the opposition party who wasn’t even currently elected to office be in line for the highest office?

Read the article “America’s System for Presidential Succession is Ridiculous” on time.com.