War Powers in American Politics: An FPRI Primer

Who has the power to declare war in the United States? That sounds like a simple question, but disagreement between Congress and the President about the answer has become a frequent problem throughout American History.

On the one hand, the Constitution is very clear: Article I, Section 8 grants Congress the power to declare war. That means the United States can only formally go to war—with all the legal and practical consequences that brings—if majorities in both houses agree to do so.

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