A. Congress has the power to declare war while the President is commander in chief. This creates an ever-lasting battle for power when it comes to military action. Many times in history, the President has deployed troops without the approval of Congress, thus inducing wars/conflicts that Congress then has no choice but to back. It also goes back to Congress’ power of the purse. They determine the amount of funding that the Department of Defense receives. This leads to stark disagreements between one branch and the other. B. The War Powers Resolution requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying military personnel into hostile areas. This prevents the President from causing a random war without the awareness and approval of Congress. It protects the nation from an overly powerful/controlling President. The War Powers Resolution also requires that troops be home within 90 days of deployment unless there is a declaration of war or authorization of the use of military force. If this measure were not in place, the President could indefinitely deploy troops into hostile situations without the approval of the nation at large/Congress. If this weren’t the case, the nation could end up in unforeseen/unwanted wars. C. Congress has the power to maintain the Army and the Navy. If they so chose, they could cut the number of soldiers/sailors in half. This provides the legislative branch with a way to limit the President’s ability in the long run. Congress can also (as stated in A) control the funding that the military receives. This prevents the President from having total control. The amount of funding that the national government gives is entirely determined by Congress, and that funding amount only applies for 2
A. Congress has the power to declare war while the President is commander in chief. This creates an ever-lasting battle for power when it comes to military action. Many times in history, the President has deployed troops without the approval of Congress, thus inducing wars/conflicts that Congress then has no choice but to back. It also goes back to Congress’ power of the purse. They determine the amount of funding that the Department of Defense receives. This leads to stark disagreements between one branch and the other. B. The War Powers Resolution requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying military personnel into hostile areas. This prevents the President from causing a random war without the awareness and approval of Congress. It protects the nation from an overly powerful/controlling President. The War Powers Resolution also requires that troops be home within 90 days of deployment unless there is a declaration of war or authorization of the use of military force. If this measure were not in place, the President could indefinitely deploy troops into hostile situations without the approval of the nation at large/Congress. If this weren’t the case, the nation could end up in unforeseen/unwanted wars. C. Congress has the power to maintain the Army and the Navy. If they so chose, they could cut the number of soldiers/sailors in half. This provides the legislative branch with a way to limit the President’s ability in the long run. Congress can also (as stated in A) control the funding that the military receives. This prevents the President from having total control. The amount of funding that the national government gives is entirely determined by Congress, and that funding amount only applies for 2