Balance of Power and the War Powers Resolution
For this assignment, you will prepare a debate paper covering an
issue that involves the balance of power between the executive and
the legislative branches: The War Powers Resolution.
The War Powers Resolution requires the president to notify
Congress when he or she sends troops into combat and requires
the president to withdraw them within 60 days if Congress does not
approve of the actions. The executive branch has never
acknowledged the constitutionality of this law.
Case Assignment
Step 1
Write a 3 to 4-page debate paper that address the following
scenario:
You are serving an internship with a candidate running for
Congress. She has asked you to help her prepare for a series of
debates over central topics facing the nation. In the first section of
the debate paper, you will provide the most powerful argument
possible in favor of one side of the debate, and then you will do the
same for the other side. Finally, you will write a critique of the side
of the issue with which you disagree.
In the paper, you will debate whether the scope of the War Powers
Resolution should be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, which
has refused to hear challenges made by members of Congress to
force the president to abide by the law. When addressing this topic,
you must think carefully about the roles of all three branches of
government and about the processes that led to the passage of and
that support the current status of the War Powers Resolution. Your
candidate’s debates will take place before an audience of the
general public, so be sure to explain the roles of the three branches
of government and the current implications of the War Powers
Resolution clearly.
Step 2
Research the topic.
Being able to apply information-literacy skills in studying politics is
critical. Access the Internet to research and learn about the War
Powers Resolution and the debates surrounding it. Consider your
sources carefully when you research, keeping the following points
in mind:
Primary sources, such as government websites, will be more
informative and less subjective than secondary sources.
Check the reference lists or sources of any secondary online
source you find, such as a journal or newspaper article. Has the
author provided solid background for the opinions he or she
expresses?
Do not accept the opinions of any individual secondary source
without question. Consider the site where you found the source.
What is its primary purpose? Who is its intended audience?
The post CONGRESS, THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, AND THE JUDICIARY first appeared on COMPLIANT PAPERS.