AP U.S. Government and Politics · Past multiple choice · Question 25, Effective Fall 2014
Presidential vetoes
Pick the true statement about a presidential veto.
Lessons this question tests
1 Read the question
The question is College Board's: sample question 25 in AP Government and Politics: United States Course Description. It starts on page 21 of the PDF.
Open Question 25 (PDF, page 21)
2 Pick your answer
3 Check the explanation
Why the answer is A open once you have picked
Under Article I, Section 7, Congress can override a veto only with a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. Reaching two thirds in both chambers is hard, especially when the president's party holds more than a third of the seats in either one. Historically only a small fraction of vetoes have been overridden, which makes the veto a strong check and its threat a bargaining tool.
Each choice
- A (correct). The two-thirds requirement in both chambers is hard to meet, so overrides are rare.
- B. The cabinet has no role in a veto. The power belongs to the president alone.
- C. The president can veto any bill, not only revenue bills. A veto is sustained whenever Congress fails to override it.
- D. The Supreme Court plays no part in a veto and never looks at one on its own. The answer to a veto is an override vote in Congress.
- E. A veto needs no committee approval. Congress responds to it with an override vote by the full House and Senate.
Question and answer key: College Board. The title and summary are ours, and so is the explanation.