▁the ▁president ' s ▁death ▁was ▁set , ▁questions ▁concerning ▁president ial ▁" in ability " ▁remained ▁un answer ed . ▁What ▁constit uted ▁an ▁in ability ? ▁Who ▁determined ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁an ▁in ability ? ▁Did ▁a ▁vice ▁president ▁become ▁president ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁president ial ▁term ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁an ▁in ability , ▁or ▁was ▁the ▁vice ▁president ▁merely ▁" act ing ▁as ▁president "? ▁Due ▁to ▁this ▁lack ▁of ▁clar ity , ▁later ▁vice ▁pres idents ▁were ▁hes it ant ▁to ▁assert ▁any ▁role ▁in ▁cases ▁of ▁president ial ▁in ability . ▁▁ ▁On ▁two ▁occasions ▁in ▁particular ▁the ▁operations ▁of ▁the ▁executive ▁branch ▁were ▁ham per ed ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁constitution al ▁basis ▁for ▁declaring ▁that ▁the ▁president ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁function : ▁ ▁For ▁ 8 0 ▁days ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 1 , ▁between ▁the ▁shooting ▁of ▁James ▁Gar field ▁in ▁July ▁and ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁September . ▁Cong r essional ▁leaders ▁ur ged ▁Vice ▁President ▁Ch ester ▁Arthur ▁to ▁step - up ▁and ▁exercise ▁president ial ▁authority ▁while ▁the ▁president ▁was ▁disabled , ▁but ▁he ▁decl ined , ▁fear ful ▁of ▁being ▁l abeled ▁a ▁us ur per . ▁A ware ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁a ▁del icate ▁position ▁and ▁that ▁his ▁every ▁action ▁was ▁placed ▁under ▁scr ut iny , ▁he ▁remained ▁se cluded ▁in ▁his ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁home ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁summer . ▁ ▁October ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁– ▁March