Declaring war : Congress, the president, and what the Constitution does not say / Brien Hallett.

"Declaring War directly challenges the 200-year-old belief that the Congress can and should declare war. By offering a detailed analysis of the declarations of 1812, 1898 and the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the book demonstrates the extent of the organizational and moral incapacity of the Congress to declare war. This book invokes Carl von Clausewitz's dictum that 'war is policy' to explain why declarations of war are an integral part of war and proposes two possible remedies - a constitutional amendment or, alternatively, a significant reorganization of Congress. It offers a comprehensive historical, legal, constitutional, moral and philosophical analysis of why Congress has failed to check an imperial presidency. The book draws on Roman history and international law to clarify the form, function and language of declarations of war, and John Austin's speech act theory to investigate why and how a 'public announcement' is essential for the social construction of both war and the rule of law"-- Provided by publisher

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Machine generated contents note: 1. A constitutional tyranny and presidential dictatorship; Part I. What Is the History?: 2. How the president declares war: the War of 1812; 3. Why the Congress ought not declare war: the Spanish-American War, 1898; 4. A plan for acquiescence: the War Powers Resolution of 1973; Part II. What Is a Declaration of War?: 5. Declaring and commanding: forms, functions, and relationships; 6. Lawful and unlawful declarations of war: quantity over quality; 7. Six possible structures; Part III. What Are the Solutions?: 8. A constitutional amendment; 9. A congressional work-around; Part IV. What Is the Theory?: 10. Bellum justum et pium: the rule of law and roman piety; 11. The rule of law: searching for ontology; 12. Senator Malcolm Wallop; Appendix I. Five congressional declarations of war and one appropriations act; Appendix II. The federative powers in parliamentary governments.

Print version record.

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