Do people realize that congress has the power to declare war and not the president?

Question

Well, according to my professor.

Answer 1

Right...and next you are going to tell me they were fairly elected by the people too...pffft!

Answer 2

It's true, but most people don't read history facts or don't remember history class. After all history keeps repeating itself. And yeah most people think that since the president is in the top of the three, therefor he has the authority to declare everything. In which case is not true cause there are many thing that he cant do without the approval of the other houses. But good observation.

Answer 3

Yes most do.but the presidents can basically do what they wish to when their Party holds power in congress especially.or when the president makes up an excuse to go to war like our bush did.the President has many things he can do to wage war if he wishes to.we should not be a warring people. we should be a peaceful people or one day nukes or going to start being exploded in our city's.by people who for example don't like it that half a million people or now dead in Iraq because the feds decided to invade that country for no good reason what so ever, theirs plenty of bad governments,we shouldn't take out all of them we can.just because we feel like it.we will war against Iran soon and they haven't done a thing to us.just because a country might maybe could if sometime maybe do something doesn't mean we should declare war on them that's idiotic.
half our taxes go to the company's making equipment and arms and the military .they wish to have war,NOT ME.

Answer 4

I learned this in high school.
But it doesn't mean we can't send troops places. It just means those who get injured won't get a status as being injured in a war. Much like the Korean Conflict was never an actual war, and many veterans were upset because they fought, were injured, and some died, but were never acknowldedged anymore than someone who gets hurt in the military during non-war times.

Answer 5

For people that do not agree with war it is easier to blame President Bush than it is to blame the people in Congress. I think it is kind of funny how a lot of the people in Congress and saying that it is not their fault but they are the people who voted yes, no one to blame but themselves!

Answer 6

I beg your pardon. The president is the only one that can declare war. Congress has no control over it. There are only 3 things that the president has complete power over. One is declaration of war, launch of our nuclear weapons and vetoing a bill. Other than this congress gas control.

Answer 7

Your exactly right, not to mention ALL the polititions from ALL parties who supported our Presidents decision, and now have flip flopped and left him hanging by himself.

Answer 8

I did nto realize that. Who is your professor? Ward Churchill, Nick De Genova?

Answer 9

Correct. Here is an article about the powers of Congress, from wikipedia.

"Section 8 of Article One of the United States Constitution sets forth the powers of Congress. The most important powers are the powers to levy and collect taxes, borrow money, regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the states, coin money, establish post offices and post roads, issue patents and copyrights, fix standards of weights and measures, establish courts inferior to the Supreme Court, raise and maintain the armed forces, *declare war* (emphasis added), and "make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers"."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congress_of_the_United_States#Powers


Article One of the United States Constitution:

Section 8: Powers of Congress
Congress's powers are enumerated in Section Eight:

Section 8: The Congress shall have power
to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;

To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;

To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States;

To establish post offices and post roads;

To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;

To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court;

To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations;

*To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;

To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years;

To provide and maintain a navy;

To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;

To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings;--And

To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_One_of_the_United_States_Constitution#Section_8:_Powers_of_Congress

Answer 10

Apparently, the President and his supporters don't.