To War or Not To War

The U.S. government' s response to the onset of World War II represented something of a constitutional gold standard. Congress declared war almost unanimously, and the president executed that war. This clear division of powers and the near universal support of the citizenry helped expedite allied victory. In the years since, the U.S. has improvised its way through the launch of myriad military engagements, none with the precision of December 1941. This book will examine how the U.S. government has varied from this standard and why.