Nearly five hundred times in the past century, American
presidents have deployed the nation's military abroad, on missions
ranging from embassy evacuations to full-scale wars. The question
of whether Congress has effectively limited the president's power
to do so has generally met with a resounding "no." In "While
Dangers Gather," William Howell and Jon Pevehouse reach a very
different conclusion.
The authors--one an American politics scholar, the other an
international relations scholar--provide the most comprehensive and
compelling evidence to date on Congress's influence on presidential
war powers. Their findings have profound implications for
contemporary debates about war, presidential power, and Congress's
constitutional obligations.
While devoting special attention to the 2003 invasion of Iraq,
this book systematically analyzes the last half-century of U.S.
military policy. Among its conclusions: Presidents are
systematically less likely to exercise military force when their
partisan opponents retain control of Congress. The partisan
composition of Congress, however, matters most for proposed
deployments that are larger in size and directed at less
strategically important locales. Moreover, congressional influence
is often achieved not through bold legislative action but through
public posturing--engaging the media, raising public concerns, and
stirring domestic and international doubt about the United States'
resolve to see a fight through to the end.
General
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