The presidential veto is an influential yet relatively ignored power of the chief executive. To date, only three empirical studies have analyzed influences on veto use. All have been flawed in several respects. This study formulates a presidential support model to examine factors relating to veto frequency over the last century. Multiple regression analysis reveals that five variables — the term in which the president is serving, the year within the term, annual percentage of unemployment, a succession president, and the average number of yearly public laws—significantly increase annual veto frequency, whereas percentage of partisans in Congress significantly reduces the yearly number of vetoes.
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