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ERIC Number: EJ824503
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2003-Nov
Pages: 10
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0018-2745
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Presidents, Congress, and the Use of Force: A Critique of Presidential Powers
Kittredge, Jeremiah
History Teacher, v37 n1 p89-98 Nov 2003
Debates over Congressional involvement in foreign military engagements trace back to America's founding. However, a basic point still remains unresolved: does Congress have the Constitutional right to constrain presidents from unilaterally exercising force abroad? If so, is directly adhering to the Constitution a government responsibility? In principle, the Constitution provides the Congress with enough power to make it a "major participant in foreign policy." Yet, the past forty years represent a dramatic departure from the mandates of the Constitution in that they have allowed an unmistakable trend toward executive domination of United States foreign affairs. Presidential military action without Congressional authorization subverts clearly specified Constitutional powers, undermines the notions of Constitutional and limited government, and encourages citizens to accept a government that acts without authorization, thereby posing an enormous threat to individual liberty. This article presents a critique of the current presidential power and its seeming resistance to Congressional influence. (Contains 30 notes.)
Society for History Education. California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840-1601. Tel: 562-985-2573; Fax: 562-985-5431; Web site: http://www.thehistoryteacher.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A