 "Strikes against Syria: Did Donald Trump need permission from Congress?")
Launching 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield in response to a Syrian chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of civilians raises important questions. Does the president have, or should he have, the authority to use military force without the explicit consent of Congress?
The US Constitution makes the president the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, while granting Congress the power to declare war. The framers of the Constitution intended through the latter provision to make Congress the principal decision-maker regarding the initiation of military campaigns. But they also sought to
