War-Making Powers

The framers of the U.S. Constitution divided the war-making power of the new republic between the executive and the legislative branches. Article II designated the president as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, while Article I granted Congress the power to declare war. In addition, Congress was given the authority to appropriate money. This so-called "power of the purse" ensures that Congress will play a significant role in determining defense spending in wartime.

The last time that Congress was asked to formally declare war was December 1941, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Since World War II, presidents have repeatedly ordered military action without requesting a formal declaration of war. Even the Korean War, which cost more than 53,000 American lives, was technically a "police action" conducted under the authority of the United Nations. Almost without exception, large majorities of both Houses have strongly supported presidential decisions to send military forces abroad, at least initially.

The subject of Case Study - The Tonkin Gulf Resolution is how the administration of President Johnson obtained congressional authority for the expansion of U.S. involvement in Vietnam in 1964.

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Online resources to accompany the Teacher's Guide for The Fog of War, A Project of The Choices Program and Critical Oral History Project, Watson Insititute for International Studies — Brown University