How Does The President Role Change In Time Of War And National Crisis
Congress, the President, and the State of war Powers
Summary:
This lesson volition explore the implementation of the war-making power from the first declared state of war under the Constitution—the State of war of 1812—to the Iraq War. Using principal source documents, students will investigate how the constitutional powers to initiate state of war have been exercised by the legislative and executive branches of the Federal Government at several key moments in American history. They will besides evaluate why and how the rest of dominance in initiating war has changed over fourth dimension. Students will assess and evaluate the electric current balance of power.
Rationale:
As future voters, students need the tools to participate equally citizens in the nation's future decisions on war. This lesson requires students to evaluate previous war making decisions, and utilise that historical understanding to consider how such decisions should exist fabricated in the future.
Guiding Question:
What is the ideal residual of power between the President and Congress with respect to war?
Materials:
6 document facsimiles
10 certificate transcripts
iii handouts and i worksheet
All lesson materials
Recommended Grade Levels:
Grades ten-12
Courses:
U.S. History; U.S. Regime; Civics
Topics included in this lesson:
Declarations of war, separation of powers, Constitution, Commodity I, Article 2, War of 1812, Mexican War, Ceremonious War, Earth War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Republic of iraq War, informational texts, primary sources
Fourth dimension Required:
120 minutes
Documents:
Representative Abraham Lincoln'due south "Spot" Resolutions, Dec 22, 1847; Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, RG 233; National Archives, Washington, DC. View in National Athenaeum Catalog
President James Buchanan's message to Congress requesting legislation to protect Americans in the Isthmus of Panama, February eighteen, 1859; Records of the U.South. Senate, RG 46; National Archives, Washington, DC. View in National Archives Catalog
"Day of Infamy" bulletin to Congress from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt concerning the Japanese set on on the The states at Pearl Harbor; December 8, 1941; Records of the U.S. Senate, RG 46; National Archives, Washington, DC. View in National Archives Catalog
President Harry S. Truman's argument on Korea, June 27, 1950; Papers of George Chiliad. Elsey, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Missouri. View in National Archives Catalog
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, as introduced, August five, 1964; Records of the U.Southward. Senate, RG 46; National Archives, Washington, DC. View in National Archives Catalog
President George Bush's Statement on Signing the Dominance for Utilise of War machine Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002, October 16, 2002; George W. Bush Presidential Library, Dallas, Texas.
Learning Activities
1. Introduction and group discussion
Introduce the students to the Guiding Question. Read the clauses on the state of war powers that the Constitution grants to Congress in Article I, Department 8, and to the President in Article Ii, Section 2. After reading these clauses, ask the students what sense they get well-nigh the Founders' thoughts on the apply of war powers. Note to the instructor: Students' answers may include the idea the war-making ability should not be in the easily of one person. They might also suggest that Congress is responsible for deciding war or peace, for enabling the nation to fight a state of war, and for providing funding, while the President is responsible for field command of the armed services. Also hash out what balance of power betwixt Congress and the President they call back the Founders intended to create. Why did they do it that mode?
2. War of 1812: The first war under the Constitution
The War of 1812 was the first fourth dimension constitutional war powers were practical. Share the quotes on Handout 1 with your students, and ask them to describe the authors' views of the war making responsibilities of Congress and the President. How do these views compare with the clauses of the Constitution the students read in the first activity? Assess how closely Congress and the President observed the Founders' vision this get-go time the Usa fought a state of war under the Constitution.
Note to the instructor: Y'all may want to share with the students some of the views of James Madison, the primary author of the Constitution, and the President at the time that Congress get-go declared war. Madison observed in his formal communications with Congress what he saw equally the proper ramble roles of the executive and legislature. When making a determination to go to war, Madison believed the President had the prerogative to brand suggestions to Congress, and Congress had the prerogative to take or seek suggestions from the President to arrive at its ain decision on the question.
3. Balance of Powers
Project or distribute a copy of Handout 2, the Remainder of Powers continuum, which illustrates a remainder with Congress and the President at opposite ends. Ask students to consider where to plot a signal on the chart to mark their assessment of which branch, the executive or legislative, wielded more influence over the use of war powers in 1812, and by how much.
4. Grouping document analysis of primary source documents
Divide students into iv groups. Assign each group the documents from one of the fourth dimension periods listed on Handout 3. Some documents have facsimiles and all have transcripts. Distribute Worksheet 1 to aid them conduct certificate assay. The groups volition evaluate each certificate to appraise the viewpoint of the writer regarding the utilize of state of war powers by the executive or legislative branches.
5. Report from groups
Taking each prepare of documents in chronological order, direct a spokesperson from each group to share the results of the group discussion. The spokesperson should give the title of each document, summarize its content, then share the group's cess of the viewpoint on war powers of the executive and/or legislative branches every bit expressed past the author. The spokesperson volition mark the Balance of Powers continuum to denote the grouping'southward understanding of each co-operative's influence on questions of war at that point in time.
6. Iraq State of war
Distribute the two Republic of iraq State of war documents to all students, and conduct a certificate analysis with the full class in the same manner as they did in small groups. Form a form consensus on where to plot the Republic of iraq War on the Balance of Powers continuum.
7. Reflection
Inquire your students to reflect on the changes over time in the practise of war powers past the two branches of government. Is there a pattern to the alter? Why might it have changed? Have the changes been positive or negative? Why? Revisit the Guiding Question: What is the platonic residual of ability between the President and Congress with respect to war?
Point out to the students that, equally future voters, they may have to make up one's mind whether or not to support U.Due south. armed services activity and volition need to understand who exercises which war powers. Possible discussion questions include:
- What are the pros and cons of having Congress or the President in charge of making war? Each option reflects dissimilar values:
- consensus-building vs. speed
- autonomous procedure vs. secrecy
- fence vs. unity
- The legislature takes too long deliberating when firsthand action may be needed.
- The executive may move too fast before the denizens are fully supportive of the military attempt.
- Open deliberation of state of war plans by the legislature provides a strategic advantage to the enemy.
- Secret state of war plans made by the executive undermine the very thought of democracy that the nation is fighting to preserve.
- Debate of different plans in the legislature may ultimately create a strong public consensus.
- Unitary control of war by the executive unites the nation backside 1 plan.
- What are the roles of the legislature and executive when hostilities exist without a declaration of war? (e.k., Common cold State of war, state of war on terror)
- Is the Founders' belief in congressional command of war powers still workable in the 21st century? Should the Constitution be amended? If aye, compose the text of the proposed amendment. If no, explicate why not.
- Return to essential question: What is the platonic balance of ability between the President and Congress with respect to state of war? If it is off balance now, how does one fix it?
8. Extension Activity—Taking a Stand
Read one of the statements below, and direct students to physically move to different areas of the room that are marked Strongly Concur, Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree. After groups grade for each opinion, ask the groups to discuss why each person moved to that group and for a spokesperson to explain their point of view to the class.
- "The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and every bit such should ultimately make up one's mind when and where to deploy the United States military."
- "Congress has the constitutional power to declare state of war and equally such should ultimately decide when and where to deploy the United states of america military."
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Source: https://www.archives.gov/legislative/resources/education/war-powers
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