Interpretations and debates of the US presidency Flashcards
what 2 powers does the consitution specifically grant regarding foreign policy
commander in chief
negotiation of treaties
commander in chief
checked by congress’ powers to declare war and control how much money is being spend HOWEVER congress has not declared war since 1941 and the ability to restrict money is questionable after a president has committed to troops abroad
vietnam war
troops had been fighting in vietnam for 18 years without a proper declaration of war. congress wanted to pass an act which prevented any future president from involving the us in an undeclared war
article 1 section 8 grants congress to declare war
how did the war powers act 1973 come about
nixon was secretly bombing cambodia from congress. when congress found out they declared that the bombing must stop and they also knew more needed to be done about checks on the pres powers
what does the war powers act 1973 consist of
a deal to ensure that congress and the president agreed on action before committing troops
HOWEVER action can only last 60 days plus 30 days for withdrawal then congress must vote if it can continue
what did nixon do with the war powers act bill
nixon vetoed it because apparently it violated his commander in chief powers of the president and the only way to limit them was to amend the constitution itself
BUT congress overrode the veto
is the war powers act effective
no, future presidents haven’t paid too much attention to it
eg clinton send troops to Kosovo and troops remained there for more than the 60 day limit
this resulted in a lawsuit from congress members but the federal court refused to intervene
negotiating treaties
the president can set the tone of foreign policy mostly by doing speeches
eg kennedy “would pay any price, bear any burden and meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any in order to ensure the survival and success of liberty”
how did BUSH set the tone for foreign policy
- 9/11 he spoke about the ‘axis of evil’ in his state of the union speech. the events the american people had lived through allowed the pres to announce a new foreign policy which would have huge implications
the doctrine holds that america should not wait to be attacked but more proactively to disrupt and defeat terrorists who are threats (america took the offensive rather than defensive)
how did obama set the tone for foreign policy
using soft power - in obamas inaugural speech in 2009 “our power grows from its prudent use” (meaning power should be used as and when) he announced that america would be returning to soft power which is ‘the ability to get what you want by attraction rather than coercion’
did obamas soft power foriegn policy live up to expectations
no - guantanamo bay was no closed like he promised and in 2010/11 say the largest offensive force by coalition forces in afgahnistan and a four year extension for the patriot act
what was the patriot act
broadly expands law enforcement’s surveillance and investigative powers and represents one of the most significant threats to civil liberties, privacy, and democratic traditions in US history.
