---
title: "Override — AP Gov Definition, Veto Checks & Exam Guide"
description: "An override lets Congress reverse a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers. It's the core legislative check on the president in AP Gov Unit 2."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-gov/key-terms/override"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP US Government"
---

# Override — AP Gov Definition, Veto Checks & Exam Guide

## Definition

In AP Gov, an override is Congress's power to reverse a presidential veto by repassing a bill with a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate, making it law without the president's signature. It's the Constitution's built-in legislative check on presidential power (Topic 2.5).

## What It Is

An override is what happens when [Congress](/ap-gov/unit-1/principles-american-government/study-guide/BXlQvFOiaKwhntWYhgKP "fv-autolink") refuses to take no for an answer. When the president vetoes a bill, Congress can vote on it again. If two-thirds of the House AND two-thirds of the Senate vote yes, the bill becomes law anyway. The president's signature is no longer needed.

That two-thirds threshold is the whole story. A simple majority got the bill to the president's desk the first time, but reversing a veto demands a supermajority in both chambers. That's hard to pull off, which is exactly the point. The [framers](/ap-gov/key-terms/framers "fv-autolink") wanted the president to have real [influence](/ap-gov/unit-5 "fv-autolink") over legislation (the veto) but not absolute control (the override). It's checks and balances working in both directions at once. In practice, overrides are rare because finding a two-thirds coalition usually requires bipartisan agreement, so most vetoes stick. But the *threat* of an override shapes bargaining between the branches even when no override vote ever happens.

## Why It Matters

The override lives in **[Unit 2](/ap-gov/unit-2 "fv-autolink") (Interactions Among Branches of Government)**, specifically **Topic 2.5: Checks on the Presidency**. It directly supports learning objective **[AP Gov](/ap-gov "fv-autolink") 2.5.A**, which asks you to explain how the president's agenda creates tension and confrontation with Congress. Policy conflicts between the congressional agenda and the presidential agenda often lead to vetoes, and the override is Congress's constitutional comeback. It also connects to **Topic 2.6 (Expansion of Presidential Power)**, because a Congress that can't muster two-thirds is a Congress that effectively cedes legislative ground to the president. The harder overrides are to achieve, the more powerful the veto becomes. On the exam, the override is one of the cleanest examples you can cite for separation of powers and checks and balances arguments, and it shows up in questions about how the branches constrain each other.

## Connections

### Veto (Unit 2)

The [veto](/ap-gov/unit-2/roles-power-president/study-guide/KcDjpoM3Ni4qA4Y3Um4K "fv-autolink") and the override are two halves of one constitutional conversation. The veto is the president's check on Congress, and the override is Congress checking that check. You can't explain one on an FRQ without the other.

### [Checks and Balances (Units 1-2)](/ap-gov/key-terms/checks-and-balances)

The override is the textbook proof that no branch gets the final word. Even after a veto, Congress can still legislate, which is exactly the kind of mutual constraint the framers built into [the Constitution](/ap-gov/key-terms/the-constitution "fv-autolink") and Madison defended in Federalist No. 51.

### [Advice and Consent (Unit 2)](/ap-gov/key-terms/advice-and-consent)

[Senate confirmation](/ap-gov/key-terms/senate-confirmation "fv-autolink") of appointments and the veto override are siblings. Both are legislative checks under LO 2.5.A. The Senate's rejections of Robert Bork (1987) and John Tower (1989) show the appointment-side version of Congress pushing back on a president's agenda.

### Expansion of Presidential Power (Unit 2)

When overrides are nearly impossible (polarized parties, thin margins), presidents lean harder on vetoes, executive orders, and signing statements. The practical weakness of the override helps explain the modern growth of presidential power covered in Topic 2.6.

## On the AP Exam

Multiple-choice questions usually test the override as a category. A stem will describe a scenario, like Congress responding to a presidential veto of an education bill, and ask which legislative check on the president it illustrates. Know the mechanics cold (two-thirds vote, both chambers, bill becomes law without the president). The override is also prime FRQ material. The 2018 SAQ Q3 was built on exactly this dynamic, asking about the 'dynamic and complex' legislative interactions between Congress and the president created by the Constitution. On a Concept Application or Argument Essay about separation of powers, the override is a one-sentence piece of evidence that almost always fits. Just don't overstate it. Strong answers acknowledge that overrides are rare because the two-thirds supermajority is so hard to reach.

## Override vs Pocket veto

An override only works against a regular veto, where the president actively returns the bill to Congress. A pocket veto happens when the president simply doesn't sign a bill and Congress adjourns within ten days, killing the bill automatically. Since the bill never gets returned, there's nothing for Congress to vote on, so a pocket veto cannot be overridden. If an exam question involves Congress adjourning, think pocket veto and no override.

## Key Takeaways

- An override lets Congress pass a bill into law over a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate.
- The override is the core legislative check on the president in Topic 2.5 and supports learning objective AP Gov 2.5.A.
- Overrides require a supermajority, so they are rare in practice, but the threat of one influences how presidents and Congress bargain over legislation.
- A pocket veto cannot be overridden because the bill is never returned to Congress for a revote.
- Pair the override with Senate confirmation (advice and consent) when an FRQ asks for multiple legislative checks on presidential power.
- The difficulty of assembling two-thirds majorities in a polarized Congress is one reason presidential power has expanded, connecting Topic 2.5 to Topic 2.6.

## FAQs

### What is a veto override in AP Gov?

It's Congress's power to reverse a presidential veto by repassing the bill with a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. The bill then becomes law without the president's signature, making it the main legislative check on the veto (Topic 2.5).

### Can Congress override a veto with a simple majority?

No. A simple majority passes a bill the first time, but overriding a veto requires two-thirds of BOTH chambers. That high bar is intentional and explains why most vetoes are never overridden.

### Can Congress override a pocket veto?

No. A pocket veto occurs when the president doesn't sign a bill and Congress adjourns within ten days, so the bill dies without ever being returned. With nothing sent back to vote on, an override is impossible.

### How is an override different from advice and consent?

Both are congressional checks on the president, but they check different powers. An override targets the president's veto of legislation, while advice and consent is the Senate's power to confirm or reject appointments, like the rejections of Robert Bork in 1987 and John Tower in 1989.

### Why do overrides matter if they almost never happen?

Because the possibility of an override shapes negotiations before a veto ever occurs. It also matters analytically, since the difficulty of reaching two-thirds helps explain why the veto is so powerful and why presidential power has expanded, a key thread in Topics 2.5 and 2.6.

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