Gavin Howe
The power to veto is a legal authority to unilaterally stop an official action, typically a bill, from becoming a law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution, with some political systems containing formal veto powers and others containing veto players, or people or groups who can use social and political power to prevent policy change. Veto powers can be found at various levels of government, from state to local government, and in international bodies. In the United States, the President has the power to veto a bill, which can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate. In the case that Congress adjourns before the ten-day period in which the President must return a bill, the bill will be vetoed by default, in what is known as a pocket veto.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Veto | Absolute, Qualified, Suspensory, Package, Partial, Amendatory |
| Veto Players | President, Monarch, Groups or Individuals with Social and Political Power |
| Veto Points | Institutional Opportunities that Enable Veto Players to Veto |
| Override | Possible by a Supermajority Vote, e.g., Two-Thirds Majority in the House and Senate |
| Veto Power | Established in Country's Constitution or at Levels like State or Provincial Government |
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What You'll Learn
Presidents and monarchs
In political science, a veto is the power to unilaterally stop an official action. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. Presidents and monarchs are among those who can veto potential laws.
Presidential Veto
Presidents can veto bills to stop them from becoming laws. For example, US President Joseph R. Biden Jr. vetoed 13 bills, and President Donald J. Trump vetoed 10 bills during his first term. In the United States, a presidential veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate.
Monarchical Veto
Monarchs can also veto bills, although today it is rare for a monarch to do so except on ministerial advice. Historically, monarchs regularly refused royal assent to bills, such as in the case of England's King Charles II, who withheld royal assent from a bill suggesting that Parliament, not the King, should control the militia. The constitution of Jordan grants its monarch the explicit right to withhold assent to laws passed by its parliament. In Luxembourg, a similar provision was removed in 2008.
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Veto players and veto points
In political science, the power of certain people and groups to prevent changes to the status quo is analysed through the frameworks of veto points and veto players. Veto players are political actors who can exercise a veto over a change in government policy. Veto points, on the other hand, are the institutional opportunities that give these actors the ability to veto.
The concept of veto players is a tool for analysing the outcomes of political systems, with a focus on legislative behaviour and outcomes. Veto players have the ability to decline a choice being made and can stop a change from the status quo. They have preferences over public policy outcomes, and these preferences are continuous across the continuous policy choices the veto player faces.
Veto players can be individuals, such as a president or monarch, or groups, such as the US Congress. In the case of the US Congress, the constitutional structure of the assembly can be considered, although this overlooks the influence of parties, external influences of lobby groups, and the electorate.
The number of veto players can impact the likelihood of currency crises, with countries having very few or very many veto players more prone to such crises. The impact of veto players on exchange-rate policy is context-dependent, varying across different types of countries and their specific institutional setups.
Vetoes can be classified into different types, including absolute vetoes, qualified vetoes, suspensory vetoes, package vetoes, partial vetoes, and amendatory vetoes. Each type of veto has different characteristics and levels of overrideability.
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Absolute vetoes
An absolute veto is a type of veto that cannot be overridden. In other words, it is a complete and total rejection of a proposed change to the status quo. Absolute vetoes are typically held by powerful actors within a political system, such as a president or monarch, who can unilaterally stop a bill from becoming law. In some cases, international bodies may also hold absolute veto powers.
The concept of the veto originated with the ancient Romans, who had two consuls each year; either consul could block military or civil action by the other. The tribunes, meanwhile, had the power to unilaterally block any action by a Roman magistrate or the decrees passed by the Roman Senate. This power was known as the intercessio and was adopted by the Roman Republic in the 6th century BC to protect the interests of the plebeians (common citizenry).
In modern political systems, absolute vetoes are often held by heads of state or international bodies. For example, in the United States, the President has the power to veto bills, and this veto can only be overridden by a two-thirds vote of both the House and the Senate. Similarly, in the United Nations Security Council, the five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) hold an absolute veto over any Security Council resolution.
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Qualified vetoes
A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. Veto powers are established in the country's constitution in many countries. They are also found at other levels of government, such as in state, provincial or local government, and in international bodies.
Vetoes may be classified by whether the vetoed body can override them. A qualified veto can be overridden by a supermajority, such as two-thirds or three-fifths. A qualified veto is also called a regular veto or a negative veto. The President returns the unsigned legislation to the originating house of Congress within a 10-day period, usually with a memorandum of disapproval or a "veto message". Congress can override the President's decision if it musters the necessary two-thirds vote of each house. President George Washington issued the first regular veto on April 5, 1792. The first successful congressional override occurred on March 3, 1845, when Congress overrode President John Tyler's veto.
In Massachusetts, the constitution of 1780 provided for a qualified veto, in which a gubernatorial veto could be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each chamber of the legislature. The 1777 New York constitution established a "Council of Revision" made up of the governor, chancellor and state Supreme Court judges, which could issue a qualified veto of legislation.
In the United States, the president can use the veto power to prevent a bill passed by Congress from becoming law. Congress can override the veto by a two-thirds vote of both chambers. All state and territorial governors have a similar veto power, as do some mayors and county executives.
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Suspensive vetoes
A suspensive veto, also known as a suspensory veto, is a type of veto that can be overridden by a simple majority and therefore only delays a law from coming into force. It is a limited veto power that allows a bill to be sent back to parliament for reconsideration.
In India, the president has three veto powers: absolute, suspension, and pocket. The suspensive veto power allows the president to return any kind of bill to parliament for reconsideration. However, if the bill is passed again by parliament, with or without amendments, the president is obligated to give their assent. This type of veto is not valid for money bills.
In Latvia, the president may also exercise a suspensive veto by returning a document to the Saeima for reconsideration, which can only be done once. In 1999, President Vaira Vike-Freiberga used a suspensive veto to return the Latvian State Language Law to the Saeima, despite it having initially passed by a large majority.
In Estonia in 1993, President Lennart Meri used a suspensory veto to delay the proposed Law on Aliens and successfully obtained amendments based on expert opinions on European law.
In France, King Louis XVI once held absolute veto power, but this was replaced by suspensive veto power with the adoption of the French Constitution of 1791. This meant that the king's veto could be overridden by a majority vote in two successive sessions of the Legislative Assembly, which would take four to six years.
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Frequently asked questions
In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. A president or monarch can typically veto a bill to stop it from becoming law.
A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action.
If a bill is vetoed, it is sent back to Congress, along with a note listing the reasons for the veto. The chamber that originated the legislation can then attempt to override the veto by a vote of two-thirds of those present. If the veto is overridden in both chambers, the bill becomes law.
Yes, vetoes can be classified by whether the vetoed body can override them. There are absolute vetoes, qualified vetoes, suspensory vetoes, package vetoes, partial vetoes, amendatory vetoes, and pocket vetoes.
