Congress at War: The Politics of Conflict Since 1789 (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781597971812)

Congress at War reviews the historical record of the U.S. Congress in authorizing, funding, overseeing, and terminating major military operations. Refuting arguments that Congress cannot and should not set limits or conditions on the use of U.S. armed forces, this book catalogs the many times when previous Congresses have enacted restrictions--often with the acceptance and compliance of wartime presidents. While Congress has formally declared war only five times in U.S. history, it has authorized the use of force fifteen other times. In recent decades, however, lawmakers have weakened their Constitutional claims by failing on several occasions to enact measures either supporting or opposing military operations ordered by the president. Concise, dramatically written, and illustrated with several summary tables, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in America's wars--past or present.

Author: Charles A. Stevenson
ISBN-10: 1597971812
ISBN-13: 9781597971812
Publisher: Potomac Books
Language: English
Published: 08/01/2007
Pages: 112
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.36lbs
Size: 8.92h x 6.28w x 0.24d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 02/01/2008 pg. 1242