Presidents and Veto Power in Comparative Perspective

Abstract

Presidents are now the most common type of head of state in democracies around the world. Although the role of the presidency varies greatly from country to country, even the least powerful presidents possess some power that allows them to influence the political process. The common and most frequently used power is the right to veto. The majority of presidents around the world can return bills to parliament for reconsideration, and the mere threat to use their power can bring work on bills to a halt. Yet there is great variation in stipulations and customs governing both the formal and informal veto power of presidents. Some presidents merely dispose of a block veto that can be overridden by a simple majority, while others can suggest changes to bills and impose their will on the legislature by the ways of super majorities required for overriding their veto. Even without being formally vested with such constitutional prerogatives, presidents have found ways to significantly delay or prevent the implementation of parliamentary or governmental decisions. Apart from a wealth of studies on U.S.-American presidents, presidential veto use tends to be understudied both empirically (e.g. veto use and its determinants) and theoretically (developing new or advancing existing approaches). The aim of this panel is to shed light on and examine different facets of presidential veto power within and beyond constitutional stipulations. It presents a variety comparative papers and country studies on presidential veto power in Latin America and the USA, Western and Central Eastern Europe and the Caucasus which use both quantitative and qualitative approaches.

Title	Details
The veto power in comparative perspective: a comparison between Venezuela and United States	View Paper Details
Presidential vetoes and coalition government in Brazil	View Paper Details
The Two Faces of Presidential Veto Power: A Benevolent Force for Social and Public Good, or a Malevolent Force, Blocking Progress, Circumventing Scrutiny	View Paper Details
Veto Powers in Parliamentary Democracies: The Portuguese President of the Republic	View Paper Details