A 3 page discussion of presidential war powers. The author clarifies what actions our president can and cannot take without first securing the approval of Congress. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Name of Research Paper File: AM2_PPwarPwr.rtf
Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
Our recent actions in Iraq have once again raised the question of exactly how much power the president of the United States
in terms of being able to send troops to a foreign country. Unlike in Great Britain where the Prime minister has to have the approval of Parliament to commit
troops to a foreign country, the President of the United States does have a certain latitude in terms of being able to commit our troops. That latitude, however, is
governed by a number of legislative provisions. The presidency of the United States falls under the executive branch of our government,
that branch of government which most often takes the initiative in shaping foreign policy. It is this branch which is considered to represent the entire government in regard to
these policies. Foreign policy is guided by the advice of the Department of State, which aids the President in regard to these policies. Additional components of the executive
branch provide information as well and carry out policies once they are implemented. The Defense and Treasury Departments are particularly active in this regard.
Although as we shall see there are some temporary exceptions, the legislative branch typically approves or disapproves the actions of the Executive Branch. The powers
of the President and of the executive branch are held in check by the Senate specifically which must approve by two-thirds vote to treaties enacted by the President. Both
the Senate and the House of Representatives, however, must approve of foreign policy expenditures. Only Congress can declare war but the Constitution of