Very few would argue with the claim that the President’s role as Commander-in-Chief is the greatest formal power that a president possesses. Yet, in the Constitution, only Congress has the authority to formally “declare war.” Presidents for the last 60-70 years have openly stated that they do not need Congressional authorization to use the military to pursue America’s interests on the global stage. As proof, America has not formally declared war since WWII. So, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, Iraq War, Afghanistan, and now Syria have all been military exercises, but not wars in the Constitutional sense.
Has the power of the President of the United States as Commander-in-Chief exceeded constitutional boundaries and should those powers be curtailed, given the constant state of war we find ourselves in? Or should the President’s military powers continue to expand to address the growing chaos in our world, despite the Constitution or in congruence with the Constitution?
Explain your answer and make sure to incorporate all institutions discussed throughout the course in your response.
Writing Guidelines:
All prompts are required.
All essays should be about 300-500 words (not including cover or reference pages). Times New Roman, 12 point font, double spaced, with page numbers is suggested. There is no penalty for going over this requirement.
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS MUST INCLUDE Cover page with your full name, course number, and title.
A reference page listing any outside sources used (your choice of citation format- APA is standard in Political Science).
Write in complete sentences and paragraphs. Bullet points or lists will not be accepted.
Be original – All papers submitted in this class are reviewed via Turnitin.com, a proprietary software database that identifies unoriginal material in papers. Please review the syllabus statement regarding the penalty for plagiarism.
Once you have completed the writing assignment, please attach and submit your assignment to the dropbox.
