Abstract
No power of government is more momentous than that concerning war and peace. In the twentieth century, many presidents cited the commander-in-chief power as a basis for instituting military action, as if the power over military decisions rested with the president alone. Yet this is not what the Constitution says, nor was it the intention of the framers. As the wording of Article II of the Constitution says, “The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States.” The Congress does the calling.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2005 Michael A. Genovese
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Genovese, M.A., Spitzer, R.J. (2005). The War Power and the Commander in Chief. In: The Presidency and the Constitution. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781403979391_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781403979391_11
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York
Print ISBN: 978-1-4039-6674-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4039-7939-1
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)