War Powers

Federal Overreach and American Foreign Policy Go Hand-In-Hand

by P.A. Deacon | Jun 11, 2017 | Eleven Years, Foreign Policy, Founders, Patrick Henry, War, War Powers

Apologists for the state often argue that criticism of the federal government must not encroach on national defense and foreign affairs. This is particularly true of Republicans, but Democrats are increasingly arguing in favor of a unitary presidency; especially as...

War Presidents to the Left; War Presidents to the Right.

by P.A. Deacon | Oct 15, 2016 | Eleven Years, Foreign Policy, War, War Powers

Who was the last American Presidential candidate to campaign on a pro-war platform? No major party candidate, in my lifetime, explicitly campaigned to lead the military into an offensive war. Interventionists from the left and right always argue that the wars of the...

Jefferson and the Barbary Pirates

by Dave Benner | May 24, 2016 | Constitution 101, Eleven Years, Foreign Policy, Thomas Jefferson, War Powers, War Powers

Famously, President Thomas Jefferson’s first inaugural address articulated his philosophical manifesto: “Peace, commerce, and friendship with all nations – entangling alliances with none.” These basic maxims were stressed repeatedly by Jefferson, who cherished a...

The Un-American Empire

by Ben Lewis | Jul 8, 2014 | Eleven Years, Foreign Policy, Founding Fathers, Founding Principles, War Powers

I recently saw a statement that said “900 (military) bases in 153 countries is not fighting for your freedom. It is an empire.” While most Americans wouldn’t think of the United States as such, the evidence is hard to dispute. In 2012, the U.S. spent $646 billion on...

What the Constitution Means by Declare War

by Shane Trejo | Jun 18, 2014 | Constitution, Constitution 101, Eleven Years, Founding Principles, War Powers, War Powers

In the heated constitutional debate over who has the power to wage war, one question rarely gets asked: what did the Founding Fathers have to say about it? This question goes largely ignored because the answer would bring the debate to a screeching halt. Although...

Letters of Marque and Reprisal: An Introduction

by Dave Benner | Apr 9, 2014 | Constitution, Constitution, Constitution 101, Eleven Years, Marque and Reprisal, War Powers, War Powers

Several times during his tenure as a Congressman, Ron Paul suggested using letters of marque and reprisal to seize property and exact harm upon Osama bin Laden and other Al Qaeda officials. Offering a bill in October of 2001, Paul’s suggestion would have allowed:...

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The 10th Amendment

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

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