Congress at War: The Politics of Conflict Since 1789

By Charles A. Stevenson

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1597971812
• ISBN13: 9781597971812
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.3" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

A bit dry, but important and brief

Believe it or not, Congress has a role in war. Stevenson, in this short book, reviews American history and points out that Congress has often been involved in all aspects of warfare. From having an impact on strategy, to pushing for war, and to ending war. No one who reads this can argue that Congress does a great job, but then, we can all point to a few recent presidents - and some would say a certain current president - who have done a fine job of screwing things up. Congress's efforts have been spotty and inconsistent to say the least, but precedent DOES establish a much more involved role than most people now recognize. Though the book is a bit dry, a lot of important information is captured in a few pages, with plenty of useful tables for future reference. A must read for anyone who thinks about US warfare.

A brief review of "Congress at War"

The Founders knew European history, and they had a good understanding of our human nature. Those extraordinary men who wrote the United States Constitution were aware that many European monarchs had squandered their country's human and material assets in petty and capricious squabbles. To prevent an American President from arbitrarily committing America to war, the drafters wrote, "The Congress shall have Power. . .To declare War. . . ." Our recent war experience in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq indicates that the outcome of war is unpredictable and that wars have unintended and unforeseeable consequences. In our nuclear age, the process that we use to initiate and conduct belligerent action is profoundly important. Whether you believe that the US should license war by executive fiat or that the US should engage in war only after a carefully deliberated Congressional declaration of war, "Congress at War" is your guide to the actual U.S. decision making processes used in our previous military engagements. The author also addresses the historical role of the U.S. Congress in financing, conduct, and termination of war. This brief book will be enlightening to many readers, perhaps even to some historians. (Note: The reviewer is NOT related to the author of the book.)