"
Those suggestions were met with patriotic, even nationalistic opposition from Bush and his very vocal vice president, Dick Cheney (Hartung, 44-45). "However reasonable the merits" were of Congress cutting off funding for the war in Iraq, Hartung continues, Cheney and others supporting the administration held a hammer over their heads in the form of jingoistic phrases like, if you vote to cut off funds you are "voting against the troops" (Hartung, 44). Leaving American troops hanging out there in Iraq would be unthinkable, it was argued from the Bush point-of-view.
Meanwhile, author Lewis B. Smith points out that arguing against the Bush invasion of Iraq was pointless for Congress, due to the sense of patriotism in the country after the 9/11 terrorist attacks (Smith, 2004, 44). So in this era, unlike other moments in history, Congress could not impose its will on the executive branch simply because "The president…made it seem unpatriotic to question his decisions."
It seems "unthinkable for one to start a war on false assertions, as President Bush did," Smith writes on page 49, but that is precisely what happened, according to the author.
In conclusion, as noted in the introduction, the executive branch should inform Congress -- and there should be open dialog and collaboration with the executive branch -- before a president launches a major foreign policy action. Whether it is putting American troops in harm's way, or negotiating an important treaty with another nation, cooperation and mutual respect should be the watchword between Congress and the White House. However, as pointed out in the introduction, in a democracy the making of foreign policy with Congress and the executive branch both involved can be a helpful situation but also it can be a handicap. Success or failure vis-a-vis foreign policy making depends on the international situation at that moment in time, on the political makeup of the Congress, on the
(1978). Congress in Foreign Policy: Who Needs It? Foreign Affairs, 57(1),
40-50.
Delaney, Kate. (2006). What's New? Don't Forget Capitol Hill. The Journal of American
History, 93(2), 437-440.
Hartung, William D. (2006). A National Security Agenda for the New Congress, World Policy
Journal, 23(4), 44-88.
Malanson, Jeffrey J. (2006). The Congressional Debate over U.S. Participation in the Congress
of Panama, 1825-1826: Washington's Farewell Address, Monroe's Doctrine, and the Fundamental Principles of U.S. Foreign Policy. Diplomatic History, 30(5), 813-838.
Mallaby, Sebastian. (2000). The Bullied Pulpit: A Weak Chief Executive Makes Worse Foreign
Policy. Foreign Affairs, 79(1), 2-8.
Smith, Lewis B. (2004). The 3rs of George W. Bush: Reasons for Rejecting the Re-Election of President George W. Bush. Bloomington, IN: Trafford Publishing.
Tower, John G. (1982). Congress vs. The President: The Formulation and Implementation of American Foreign Policy. Foreign Affairs, 60(2), 229-246.
Malanson, Jeffrey J., The Congressional Debate over U.S. Participation in the Congress of Panama, 1825-1826: Washington's Farewell Address, Monroe's Doctrine, and the Fundamental Principles of U.S. Foreign Policy, Diplomatic History, vol. 30, no. 5, November 2006: 819.
Tower, John G., Congress vs. The President: The Formulation and Implementation of American Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, vol. 60, no. 2, 1982: 229.
Bennet, Douglas J., Congress in Foreign Policy: Who Needs It? Foreign Affairs, vol. 57, no. 1, 1978: 40.
Delaney, Kate, What's New? Don't Forget Capitol Hill. The Journal of American History, vol. 93, 2006: 439.
Mallaby, Sebastian, The Bullied Pulpit: A Weak Chief Executive Makes Words Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, vol. 79, no. 1, 2000: 2.
Hartung, William D., A National Security Agenda for the New Congress, World Policy Journal, vol.…
Aid to Dependent Corporations The government of United States is incurring heavy revenue loss on account of the corporate sector subsidies and other special rebates. The friendly policies of the government aimed at promoting a positive business climate are sadly being exploited. In their interests to evade tax, businesses today are taking undue advantage of the favorable federal policies. In this regard I feel that our governments tax policies and corporate
Challenges to Democratic Development in Africa Introduction The political life in Africa has largely been characterized by poor governance and an inherently poor democratic record. This has in most cases led to not only political disillusionment, but also despair – effectively stifling the continent’s economic advancement. In effect, the challenges facing the continent as far as democratic development is concerned stem from political misrule coupled with the adverse effects of imposed westernization,
The goals at which this process is aimed can concentrate on creating benefits primarily for one party or on creating benefits for both parties.' (van der Pluijm and Melissen, 2007, p.1) Multiple-sided city diplomacy is a "diplomatic process in which more than two parties are involved, representing various cities." (van der Pluijm and Melissen, 2007, p.1) van der Pluijm and Melissen state that associations of municipalities "such as United Cities
Organized Crime has been witnessed to prosper with the infiltration on legitimate businesses in a way that they associate themselves in order to steal from the host. Organized crime organizations execute such activities in order to generate income, sweep profits, achieve more power, and launder wealth (Abadinsky, 2009). The crimes that are committed by the individuals that are employed in the legitimate corporations are particularly known as white collar crimes.
Community and Social Justice Since the establishment of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), it has continued to be engaged with human rights as proven by the struggle for decolonization, self-determination, and independence of the African continent. Embodied with this, obviously, is the fact that those fighting and agitating for independence sought human right principles to justify their struggle because colonialism disregarded human rights of the colonized persons. In contrast to
Even "Porter Alexander, Lee's ordnance chief and one of the most perceptive contemporary observers of Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia, called his decision to stand at Antietam 'the greatest military blunder that Gen. Lee ever made'" (Owens 2004). Historians are divided as to the real purpose behind the Maryland campaign, which seems like an "isolated maneuver, another manifestation of Lee's innate aggressiveness as a commander. Some have
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now