A discussion guide, one of a series on constitutional reform issues by The Jefferson Foundation as part of The Jefferson Meeting on the Constitution project, examines proposals to institute item and legislative veto power. The first section discusses the historical background surrounding the formative debate on veto legislation. The separation of powers doctrine, 1787, the power of the purse, and the Anti-Federalist response are also examined. Section two continues the debate into the present by investigating the item veto and the legislative veto. Section three presents arguments for and against the item veto and the legislative veto. The document concludes with a discussion of the separation of powers and government reform. (RSL)