Introduction
Upon his sudden succession to the presidency on April 12, 1945, Harry S.
Truman asked newly widowed First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt if there
was anything that he could do for her. Mrs. Roosevelt replied in response,
“Is there anything we can do for you? For you are the one in trouble now”
(M. Truman, 1973, p. 208-209). For much of his presidency, trouble seemed to
be the best word to describe the 33
rd
chief executive’s relations with
Congress, at least from his active use of the veto power. Indeed, counting
all forms of vetoes, President Truman ranks third in total usage of the
tool (Kosar, 2006). When he left the presidency, Harry Truman had suffered
more overrides of his vetoes–twelve–than any chief executive except
beleaguered Andrew Johnson. Yet, the majority of Truman’s vetoes and
half of the overrides of them transpired during periods in which his party
controlled both chambers of Congress.
Examining the unique record of veto use by President Harry Truman is
the central objective of this research. The paper reviews Harry Truman’s
background and personal characteristics, traces the administration’s
approach to dealing with Congress, probes veto employment by the
2
Convention