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Congress at War: The Politics of Conflict Since 1789 Paperback – August 1, 2007

4.4 out of 5 stars 3

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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.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The debate over the role of Congress in authorizing and sustaining American wars has reached yet another crossroads. We are lucky to have, in Congress at War, an extraordinarily thoughtful, concise, and engaging analysis of one of the most fundamental questions of American democracy."—Lee Hamilton, Director, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and former Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs

"Stevenson has authored an insightful study of how Congress and the President interpret the Constitution's 'invitation to struggle'—not simply over whether to initiate military action but how to wage war and when to end it. An invaluable primer for today's debates over U.S. military action post-9/11."—James B. Steinberg, Dean, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin

"
Congress at War provides a comprehensive historical overview of how the United States Congress has dealt with the military instrument of statecraft from A to Z, including declaring and terminating hostilities, raising and funding forces, specifying strategy, and conducting oversight. Based on the author's decades of work on Capitol Hill, this book wraps more than two centuries of experience into a concise account. Readers seeking a quick overview of congressional praxis could hardly do better."—Terry Deibel, Professor of National Strategy, Department of National Security Policy, National War College

“This book deserves serious consideration for use in upper-division courses on Congress or for use as a brief historical guide in graduate courses on Congress.”—
Choice Published On: 2008-04-16

"The work covers a surprisingly complex subject well."—
NYMAS Review Published On: 2008-04-29

From the Publisher

"The debate over the role of Congress in authorizing and sustaining American wars has reached yet another crossroads. We are lucky to have, in Congress at War, an extraordinarily thoughtful, concise, and engaging analysis of one of the most fundamental questions of American democracy." -- Lee Hamilton, Director, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and former Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs

"Stevenson has authored an insightful study of how Congress and the President interpret the Constitution's 'invitation to struggle'--not simply over whether to initiate military action but how to wage war and when to end it. An invaluable primer for today's debates over U.S. military action post-9/11." -- James B. Steinberg, Dean, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin

"Congress at War provides a comprehensive historical overview of how the United States Congress has dealt with the military instrument of statecraft from A to Z, including declaring and terminating hostilities, raising and funding forces, specifying strategy, and conducting oversight. Based on the author's decades of work on Capitol Hill, this book wraps more than two centures of experience into a concise account. Readers seeking a quick overview of congressional praxis could hardly do better." -- Terry Deibel, Professor of National Strategy, Department of National Security Policy, National War College

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ POTOMAC BOOKS (August 1, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 112 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1597971812
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1597971812
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.25 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 3

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Charles A. Stevenson
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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2008
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.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2015
This book is an excellent primer for anyone wanting to understand what the U.S. Congress' role is in making war as it pertains to the declaration thereof, the raising of an army/maintaining a navy, the formulation of strategy, the oversight of war, and the termination of war. Stevenson provides a refreshing and practical perspective that offers a menu of precedents. Despite the lawyerly connotations of this approach, in no way does it take away from the book's readability. It enriches it with historical example. Informative, concise, and well-written, "Congress at War" is an useful reference to anyone interested in defense policy. I am not an expert by any means regarding defense and the legislative branch, but I think layman (such as myself) and scholar alike would enjoy this read and learn something from it.
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2007
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.)
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