Veto - power given the President to refuse to sign a bill that has been passed by Congress, thus blocking its becoming a law. Congress can override a veto with a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. American presidents have vetoed about 2500 acts of Congress, of which Congress has overridden about 100. "Veto" means "I forbid" in Latin.

Vice President - the person who takes over the Presidency in case of illness or death of the President. The Vice President also acts as president of the Senate, over which he presides. He or she may not vote in the Senate, except to break a tie. Presidential candidates often choose running mates to attract support from voters otherwise disinclined to vote for them. For most of American history, the role of the Vice President was very limited. Under the presidencies of Carter, Reagan and Clifton, however, the Vice President has been given more responsibilities.

Virginia Plan - proposal presented by Virginia delegates at the 1787 Constitutional Convention which recommended that Congress be bicameral, and that states' representation be based on their populations. This plan favored states with large populations, since they would have more representatives in Congress than less populated states.

Vote - choose. In order to vote in the United States, a person has to be at least 18 years old and a citizen of the United States. People who are eligible to vote must register.