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I was born for a storm, and a calm does not suit me.
The presidential vetoThe veto allows the president to strike down legislation passed by Congress. is now such an accepted part of the political process, presidents are criticized as much for not using the veto to rein in Congress as for using it.
This was not the case in the early 1800s.
Though the Constitution gave the president the right to veto bills from Congress, before 1829 the right had been used sparingly. Altogether, the first six presidents vetoed ten bills. In Jackson's eight years in office, he vetoed twelve. Even more egregious to his opponents, seven of his twelve vetoes were pocket vetoes, in which the president kills a bill by not signing it after Congress has adjourned.
Although Jackson was not the first president to use the pocket veto - James Madison had that distinction - he is considered the first president to veto bills for political purposes.
