Yes! Only Congress has the power to make or revise bills, which become laws when signed by the president. But the president can refuse to sign a bill. This is called a veto. When the president vetoes a bill, it goes back to Congress. Congress can revise and resubmit the bill. Congress can also override the president’s veto. To override the veto and make the bill a law, at least two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate must vote in favor of it.

Only Congress has the power to make or revise laws, but the president can influence legislation in a few ways. One of the most powerful ways is the veto—the power to refuse to approve a bill.

When the president vetoes a bill, it gets sent back to the House of Representatives or the Senate, depending on where it originated. It typically includes a note as to why the president vetoed it. From there, the bill can be revised and resubmitted to the president after approval from Congress, or Congress can vote to override the veto. To override a presidential veto, the bill must be passed by a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. 

No! The president comes up with a proposed budget, or a suggested plan for how he would like federal money to be spent. But he cannot spend that money directly. Congress has “the power of the purse.” That means it can collect taxes and borrow money—and it is in charge of how to spend the government’s funds.

The president cannot collect taxes or borrow money directly for the federal government. Congress is in charge of that. However, the president is involved in creating the federal budget, which suggests how federal money should be spent. 

Each year, the president submits a budget proposal to Congress. This budget is what keeps all federal agencies—including the military, the National Park Service, and many others—open and running. After receiving the president’s proposal, Congress adds its own priorities, and sometimes changes the president’s suggested budget completely. Congress then submits its plan to the president, who approves or rejects it.

No! Only Congress can declare war. But as the commander in chief, the president is in charge of the U.S. military. That means the president can deploy troops, or send them somewhere for military action. He can also launch military operations and form military policy.

This is false. As commander in chief, the president is the head of the U.S. military and can authorize the deployment of troops, launch military operations, and create military policy. But 

the Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war, which it has done on 11 different occasions. The last time Congress declared war on another country was during World War II.

That doesn’t mean that the United States has not been involved in armed conflicts since World War II, however. Congress is also responsible for approving resolutions authorizing military force against other countries, often resulting in “undeclared wars,” such as the war in Iraq (2003-2011). 

No! The Supreme Court is the nine-member court of justices that decides how laws are understood and carried out. The president can nominate someone to the Supreme Court. But the U.S. Senate can approve or reject the president’s nomination. Supreme Court justices serve for life. That means they hold their positions until their deaths or they choose to resign. Picking a Supreme Court justice is a very important decision that can affect how laws are interpreted for many years!

The Supreme Court is the nine-member court of justices that serves as the ultimate authority on the interpretation of laws in the United States. Supreme Court justices serve for life, which means they will hold their positions until their deaths or until they choose to resign. Appointing a justice to the Supreme Court is a powerful way to influence how laws wil be interpreted for decades to come. 

The president is responsible for nominating someone to the Supreme Court, but that nominee can not be appointed without the approval of the U.S. Senate. The Senate can approve or reject the president’s nominee. If the president’s nominee is rejected, the president can put forward a new nomination, but that person will also need Senate approval. 

A president can still own a private business while serving in office. But many experts believe it’s best for the president to put that business into a blind trust. (That’s what President Jimmy Carter did with his family’s peanut farm after he was elected president in 1976.) Under a blind trust, the owner does not know how the business’s resources are managed.

Why? The Constitution says that the president cannot accept presents or payments from the leaders of other countries. This is to prevent the president from being convinced to do special favors for them. 

Technically, a president can still own a private business while serving in office, but many experts believe it’s best for the president to put that business into a blind trust. (That’s what President Jimmy Carter did with his family’s peanut farm after he was elected president in 1976.) Under a blind trust, the owner does not know how the business’s assets are managed.

Why is a private trust advised? According to something called the Emoluments Clause in the Constitution, the president cannot accept presents or payments from a foreign power. This is to prevent the president from being bribed or corrupted. If an ambassador or a prince were to buy peanuts from the president’s farm, for example, that transaction could be considered a violation of the Emoluments Clause.