Although Congress has only declared war five times in our history, Presidents have engaged the armed forces of the United States overseas more than 200 times.
The War Powers Resolution of 1973 was passed by Congress in an effort to check the president’s power to use the U.S. military overseas in the wake of the Vietnam conflict. The legislation is designed to ensure that:
1) Presidents consult with Congress prior to engaging in military conflict,
2) Presidents report to Congress on the nature of hostilities, and
3) Presidents end hostilities within 60 days unless Congress authorizes further action. The bill became a law when Congress overrode a veto by President Nixon.
All presidents since Nixon have argued that the law is unconstitutional, and several, including most recently George W. Bush and Barack Obama, have disregarded provisions of the Resolution at times during their presidencies.
You are to write a paper of 1000-1500 words in which you evaluate the relevance of the War Powers Resolution to the contemporary presidency.
How has the legislation worked, has it achieved its intended goals, and should it be changed (either strengthened or repealed)? In your paper, make sure to discuss at least three different cases of presidential use of force overseas where the provisions of the War Powers Resolution were relevant. In researching your paper, you may use the class texts, class notes as well as outside sources.
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