Final answer:
The main difference between a veto and a line-item veto is the scope of power. A veto rejects an entire bill, while a line-item veto allows for parts of a spending bill to be vetoed, although the president's line-item veto power was deemed unconstitutional in 1998.
Step-by-step explanation:
The difference between a veto and a line-item veto is a matter of specificity and the ability to selectively nullify parts of legislation. A veto is the executive power to reject a bill in its entirety, preventing it from becoming law unless the legislative body can override the veto. In contrast, a line-item veto allows an executive, often a governor, to reject specific portions of a spending bill, typically individual expenditures or allocations, while signing the rest into law. This affords the executive more precise control over spending without rejecting an entire bill.
The line-item veto was granted at the federal level in 1996, but it was a short-lived reform as it was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1998. At the state level, however, many governors still possess this power to some extent, allowing them to cut government waste by vetoing specific items in appropriation bills. Some governors also have even more nuanced veto power, such as the amendatory veto and reduction veto, which enable them to propose amendments to legislation or to reduce budgetary amounts in bills.