International Relations Commons^™

Legislating Against Liberties: Congress And The Constitution In The Aftermath Of War, Harry Blain

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

How far can a democracy go to protect itself without jeopardizing the liberties upon which democracy depends? This dissertation examines why wartime restrictions on civil liberties outlive their original justifications. Through a comparative historical analysis of five major American wars, it illustrates the decisive role of the U.S. Congress in preserving these restrictions during peacetime. This argument challenges the prevailing consensus in the literature, which identifies wartime executive power as the main threat to postwar freedoms. It also reveals broader narratives of American constitutional development, including the rise and fall of intrusive congressional investigations, the decline of sedition legislation since …

The Softer Sex? Women Legislating War, Shanil Verjee

CMC Senior Theses

There is a long-standing assumption in feminist international relations theory that women are more peace-oriented than men, and that, therefore, if more women were put in positions of power, there would be less war. This paper explores whether this assumption holds true in the United States federal legislature by examining the voting and congressional records of women in Congress over time, in both the Republican and Democratic parties, and comparing them to the records of male members of Congress to determine whether women exhibit a significantly different legislative approach to war.

The Political Nature Of Defense Policy In Congress, Timothy Welter

Dissertations

Is defense policy more collegial than other policy issues addressed by Congress? More specifically, what are the institutional and political motives which drive a majority of the members of Congress to consistently transcend partisanship in order to pass defense focused legislation into law?

The purpose of this study was to test whether or not the consideration of defense policy in the House of Representatives is unique in its ability to transcend partisanship. And if so, why?

Hypothesis: The formulation of defense policy in the U.S. House of Representatives is approached with more collegiality than other policy issue areas, mainly due …

Foreign Policy By Fiat: An Examination Of The United States Decision Making Process On Iraq From 1990-1998, Shawn Mcfall

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis explores how the United States identified Iraq as a threat to its national interest from 1990 to 1998. The international relations literature is heavily skewed toward exploring the question of why states engage in conflict and neglecting how a country identifies a threat. Therefore, this thesis focuses on the threat identification policy process. This thesis examines two security moves – the Gulf War and the Iraq Liberation Act – and uses primary documents to reveal how the foreign policy apparatus concluded that Iraq was a threat. Through the two cases, I found that foreign policy decisions were made …

War Powers In The Obama Administration, Ryan Hendrickson

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

With the arrival of a new American president in 2009, the power and constitutional authority of the commander in chief to engage in military action remains as relevant as ever. Barack Obama inherited a war in Iraq, has worked with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to initiate a 17,000 American combat troop surge in Afghanistan in March 2009 and another increase of 30,000 personnel later that year, more than doubling the total American presence. He also permitted American Navy Seals to use force against Somali pirates in the first months of his presidency. In addition, nuclear development and proliferation concerns …

War Powers In The Obama Administration, Ryan C. Hendrickson

Ryan C. Hendrickson

With the arrival of a new American president in 2009, the power and constitutional authority of the commander in chief to engage in military action remains as relevant as ever. Barack Obama inherited a war in Iraq, has worked with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to initiate a 17,000 American combat troop surge in Afghanistan in March 2009 and another increase of 30,000 personnel later that year, more than doubling the total American presence. He also permitted American Navy Seals to use force against Somali pirates in the first months of his presidency. In addition, nuclear development and proliferation concerns …

War Powers In The Obama Administration, Ryan C. Hendrickson Dr.

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

With the arrival of a new American president in 2009, the power and constitutional authority of the commander in chief to engage in military action remains as relevant as ever. Barack Obama inherited a war in Iraq, has worked with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to initiate a 17,000 American combat troop surge in Afghanistan in March 2009 and another increase of 30,000 personnel later that year, more than doubling the total American presence. He also permitted American Navy Seals to use force against Somali pirates in the first months of his presidency. In addition, nuclear development and proliferation concerns …

John Kerry As Commander-In-Chief: War Powers In A Kerry Administration, Ryan C. Hendrickson Dr.

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Unlike many previous presidential elections, in 2004 foreign policy issues are at the forefront of the American policy and electoral agenda. Not since the Vietnam era has the United States entered an election year with the United States at such a heightened state of war, with ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as covert operations deployed around the world to wage the war on terrorism. After nearly one full term with George W. Bush as commander in chief, his views on constitutional war powers have been expressed on numerous occasions. Bush, like his post World War II …

John Kerry As Commander-In-Chief: War Powers In A Kerry Administration, Ryan C. Hendrickson

Ryan C. Hendrickson

Unlike many previous presidential elections, in 2004 foreign policy issues are at the forefront of the American policy and electoral agenda. Not since the Vietnam era has the United States entered an election year with the United States at such a heightened state of war, with ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as covert operations deployed around the world to wage the war on terrorism. After nearly one full term with George W. Bush as commander in chief, his views on constitutional war powers have been expressed on numerous occasions. Bush, like his post World War II …

John Kerry As Commander-In-Chief: War Powers In A Kerry Administration, Ryan Hendrickson

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Unlike many previous presidential elections, in 2004 foreign policy issues are at the forefront of the American policy and electoral agenda. Not since the Vietnam era has the United States entered an election year with the United States at such a heightened state of war, with ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as covert operations deployed around the world to wage the war on terrorism. After nearly one full term with George W. Bush as commander in chief, his views on constitutional war powers have been expressed on numerous occasions. Bush, like his post World War II …