vetoes

Vetoes are formal refusals to approve a proposed law, regulation, or decision. The term comes from Latin veto, meaning I forbid. Veto power appears in many political systems and can reside in an executive, a legislature, a court, or an international body. It can be absolute or conditional, and its application varies by jurisdiction.

Executive veto is common in representative democracies. In the United States, the president can veto bills passed by Congress; overriding requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers. A pocket veto occurs when the president takes no action and Congress adjourns within ten days. Some governments grant a line-item veto for budget items; at the federal level, the U.S. Supreme Court struck this down in 1998, though some states retain similar powers.

Legislative veto refers to congressional power to overturn executive actions without new legislation. It has been controversial because it bypasses the normal lawmaking process. The U.S. Supreme Court held the legislative veto unconstitutional in INS v. Chadha (1983), limiting this mechanism at the federal level, though some statutes in other jurisdictions have used similar concepts.

Internationally, vetoes are prominent in the United Nations Security Council, where the five permanent members—the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China—can block substantive resolutions with a single veto. This power shapes diplomacy and has prompted calls for reform. Veto rights also appear in other organizations, including certain corporate or regional bodies.