How many former vice presidents are living?

a) 2

b) 3

c) 4

d) 5

Answer: c) The four living former vice presidents are:

• Walter F. Mondale, Democrat of Minnesota, who served as vice president under Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981 and was on the ticket in 1980 when Carter lost for re-election to Republican Ronald Reagan.

• George H.W. Bush, Republican of Texas, who was elected as vice president on tickets with Reagan in 1980 and 1984 and served in the office from 1981 to 1989.

• Dan Quayle, Republican of Indiana, who was elected vice president under Bush in 1988, served from 1989 to 1993, and was on the ticket in 1992 when Bush lost for re-election to Democrat Bill Clinton.

• Al Gore, Democrat of Tennessee, who was elected as vice president on tickets with Clinton in 1992 and 1996 and served from 1993 to 2001.

Of the four, only Bush was elected president, winning the 1988 race over Massachusetts Democrat Michael S. Dukakis.

Mondale was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1984 but lost to Reagan in a landslide. Gore, as the 2000 Democratic presidential nominee, suffered a close and controversial defeat at the hands of Republican George W. Bush.

Quayle entered the contest for the 1996 Republican presidential contest but dropped out before any votes were cast, citing health concerns, as former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole went on to claim the nomination before losing the general election to incumbent Clinton. Quayle has not sought political office since.