While dangers gather : congressional checks on presidential war powers / William G. Howell and Jon C. Pevehouse.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Howell, William G.

Contributor:

Pevehouse, Jon C.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Executive power--United States.

Executive power.

Legislative power--United States.

Legislative power.

Terrorism--Government policy--United States.

Terrorism.

War and emergency powers--United States.

War and emergency powers.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (360 p.)

Edition:

Course Book

Place of Publication:

Princeton : Princeton University Press, c2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Nearly five hundred times in the past century, American presidents have deployed the nation's military abroad, on missions ranging from embassy evacuations to full-scale wars. The question of whether Congress has effectively limited the president's power to do so has generally met with a resounding "no." In While Dangers Gather, William Howell and Jon Pevehouse reach a very different conclusion. The authors--one an American politics scholar, the other an international relations scholar--provide the most comprehensive and compelling evidence to date on Congress's influence on presidential war powers. Their findings have profound implications for contemporary debates about war, presidential power, and Congress's constitutional obligations. While devoting special attention to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, this book systematically analyzes the last half-century of U.S. military policy. Among its conclusions: Presidents are systematically less likely to exercise military force when their partisan opponents retain control of Congress. The partisan composition of Congress, however, matters most for proposed deployments that are larger in size and directed at less strategically important locales. Moreover, congressional influence is often achieved not through bold legislative action but through public posturing--engaging the media, raising public concerns, and stirring domestic and international doubt about the United States' resolve to see a fight through to the end.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Figures

Tables

Preface

Acknowledgments

Part One. Background and Theory

Chapter 1. Possibilities of Congressional Influence

Chapter 2. Conditions that Abet Congressional Influence

Part Two. Testing Claims about Congressional Influence

Chapter 3. Trends in Military Deployments

Chapter 4. Responding to "Opportunities" to Use Military Force (with Douglas L. Kriner)

Chapter 5. Studies in Domestic Politics and the Use of Force

Part Three. One Causal Pathway

Chapter 6. Congress and the Media (with Douglas L. Kriner)

Chapter 7. The Media and Public Opinion

Chapter 8. Conclusion

Appendix A. Tables Relating to Chapter 3

Appendix B. Text and Tables Relating to Chapter 4

Appendix C. Table Relating to Chapter 6

Appendix D. Table Relating to Chapter 7

Notes

References

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 08. Jul 2019)

Includes bibliographical references (p. [307]-322) and index.

ISBN:

1-283-13481-0

9786613134813

1-4008-4083-X

OCLC:

733057499