|
|
|
|
|
|
by anon291
153 days ago
|
|
|
Well... That's only part of the problem. The real problem is that Congress delegated all its responsibility to the executive and judicial branches. To the executive branch it gave the power to declare war (war power act), and to make new law (administrative law). Then it created a new branch, the federal reserve, to make monetary policy. To the judiciary it handed the power of checking the president. Now Congress does nothing as evidenced by how little actual legislation they've passed while Trump has just done everything via executive order. But this entire system developed while one party held all three branches but also while the branches were held by different parties. Since the house is up for election every two years, they have every incentive to delegate so they can wash their hands free of any decision. |
|
|
The War Powers Resolution of 1973, aka War Powers Act, does not give the executive power to declare war. On the contrary, it was intended to limit the executive's ability to engage in armed conflict. It says so right at the top:
50 U.S. Code ยง 1541 - Purpose and policy
It is the purpose of this chapter to fulfill the intent of the framers of the Constitution of the United States and insure that the collective judgment of both the Congress and the President will apply to the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, and to the continued use of such forces in hostilities or in such situations.
One could argue that it hasn't worked all that well, but it is, for example, why George W. Bush got Congress to pass the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 before invading Iraq.
Also, "[t]hen it created a new branch, the federal reserve" is a sort of unusual way to describe something that happened 60 years earlier.