President Reagan’s relationship with Congress, including use of the veto power and executive privilege.

Discussion Questions

1. What two memorable statements did President Reagan make about using his veto power? How does President Reagan rank compared to other 20th century presidents in use of the veto power?
2. What two factors guided his use of the veto power? How many vetoes did Congress override? What were some of the topics of bills that he vetoed?
3. According to Professor Hoff, why is it important for people to read President Reagan’s veto messages? How did President Reagan use the pocket veto differently than it had been used in the past?