Truman White House together with legislative responses to vetoes, and
evaluates the overall impact of Truman’s veto utilization on perceptions
about his presidency. The study taps original documents from the
Truman Presidential Library and uses quantitative methods to uncover
facets of the veto process and to compare President Truman’s veto behavior
with other chief executives in American history.
Background
Three personal characteristics which stood out in Harry Truman’s
early life and professional career followed him to the presidency:
honest, hardworking, and independent. Harry would credit his father, John, for
the first of the features above, stating that “his code was honesty and
integrity. His word was good” (Hillman, 1952, p. 153).
When John Truman suffered severe financial losses speculating in commodities
futures at the turn of the 20
th
century, young Harry was forced to work to support
the family. He held jobs as timekeeper for a railroad contractor, mailroom clerk
for a local newspaper, and clerk and bookkeeper at area banks. Starting in 1906,
he ran his grandmother’s farm in Grandview, Missouri, where he raised hogs
and cattle. Following his service in World War I, Harry and an army buddy
3
Convention