The Clinton administration and war powers.

Law and Contemporary Problems, January, 2000 by Damrosch, Lori Fisler

LORI FISLER DAMROSCH [*]

I

INTRODUCTION: WAR POWERS IN CROSSNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

The strongest of all governmental powers is the power to engage in war; and the strongest challenge for constitutionalism is to bring the war power of the state under meaningful control. The 1787 Constitution allocated some military powers to the Congress and others to the President as part of the scheme of constitutional checks and balances. To this day, however, the distribution of authority between the branches remains contested and uncertain.

The Clinton Administration has had substantial opportunity to contribute to the evolution of constitutional practice concerning war powers, by virtue of numerous occasions of combat deployments, cruise...

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