Step 1 :This is a permutation problem because the order in which the president and vice-president are chosen matters. We have 8 choices for the president and, once the president is chosen, we have 7 remaining choices for the vice-president.
Step 2 :Therefore, the total number of ways to choose a president and vice-president is \(8 * 7 = 56\).
Step 3 :Final Answer: The number of ways to choose a president and vice-president from a committee of 8 people is \(\boxed{56}\).