George W. Harris & Donna M Williams 
Presidential and Congressional Succession and Continuity [PDF ebook] 

Presidential succession was widely considered a settled issue prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. These events demonstrated the potential for a mass "decapitation" of both the legislative and executive branches of government, and raised questions as to whether current arrangements were adequate to guarantee continuity in Congress and the presidency under such circumstances. With respect to presidential succession, there has been a wide range of discussions in both Congress and the public policy community since that time, and Members of both chambers have introduced legislation addressing this question in the contemporary context. This book provides analytical perspective on presidential and congressional succession questions in U.S. history, identifies and assesses contemporary succession issues, and identifies and analyzes relevant legislation.