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[Veto Override Requirements]
[57.2% of the voters in the August 27, 2002, referendum voted
in favor of this amendment. A 75% affirmative vote was required to pass
the amendment, so the amendment failed.]
14. Committee Proposal No. 01-26:
This proposed amendment would amend Subsection 2 (q) of
Article IX of the Constitution to increase the votes require to override a
presidential veto from three votes of the four state delegations (one
delegation casting one vote) to three-fourth (11 votes) of the entire
membership.
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ANALYSIS:
The purpose of this proposal is to make it more difficult for
Congress to override a presidential veto. However, since our politics
is devoid of political ideologies and parties, it is doubtful it will
accomplish its purpose. In other words, as long as politics in Congress is
based on individual members' interests and the members see the president as
their political rival on the national scene, it is not likely that a president
could muster the required votes to sustain his veto. In this situation, the
president must rely on his own political skills. He must engage members of
Congress on an individual basis to persuade them to sustain his veto. This is
where personal touch and understanding come in handy. Another important factor
is communication. The president must maintain formal and informal
communication with the members of Congress, as a group and on individual
basis. It will test his political skill, but he needs all the skills he can
muster.
The direct election of the president and vice president might
lessen congressional propensity to override a presidential veto because the
president will share the same constituency as the members and he can appeal
directly to that constituency for assistance.
© John R. Haglelgam, March 4, 2002
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