Presidential Vetoes and Congressional Response: A Study of Institutional Conflict

Abstract

This paper presents an initial attempt at a systematic analysis of the veto process. The authors argue that outcomes at all three stages of the process-the veto decision, the override attempt, and the success of those attempts-depend upon the state of the political environment (e.g., stage of the electoral cycle) and the prevailing resources of the president. Relevant presidential resources are the proportion of congressional seats controlled by the president's party and the level of public support for the president. In the case of the congressional response to presidential vetoes, two additional features which characterize the environment within Congress are hypothesized to be influential: the policy domain of the vetoed legislation and the voting alignment which prevailed at the time of passage. Empirical analysis of vetoes and congressional responses from 1945 to 1980 provides general support for the theoretical argument and for most specific hypotheses.