mrjegan

c

They love to put the War Powers Resolutions on the AP Exam because it is a great example of checks and balances.

In the Constitution, power is divided between the Congress and the President. Congress has the ability to declare war with a two-thirds vote in both houses. President as commander-in-chief has the ability to decide how said war is waged.

During Vietnam, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. The resolution gave LBJ and future presidents the authorization to basically do whatever was necessary to ensure peace in Southeast Asia, including the use of military force. This was significant because Congress gave LBJ a blank check to use military force in Vietnam without a declaration of war. As a result, direct U.S. military involvement increases, and we get entrenched in Vietnam.

As the 1960s and 1970s progressed and public opinion soured on the war. The Pentagon Papers were leaked. The Pentagon Papers were leaked and suppressed by Nixon. (make sure you know New York Times v. US - 1971 - prior restraint is illegal). Nixon had secretly began to bomb Cambodia and Laos without telling Congress.

Congress decided that giving the President power to do whatever he wanted was not a good idea and upset checks and balances. The War Powers Resolution, passed in 1974, placed limits on presidential war making power. Congress has to now be notified within 48 hours of the use of military force by the president and can only remained on the ground for 60 days (with an extra 30 days to withdraw for a total of 90 days) without authorization by Congress. The effect of this is that it decreased presidential power to use military force and increased Congress power to check the president.

It also noteworthy that we have not actually declared war since WWII.

They also love to put the War Powers Resolution on the exam because Nixon vetoed it and was overridden by Congress.

I don't know what tips your teacher gave but make sure that you add "fat tires" to your FRQs. If it asks for two examples, give three. The grader will only grade your best two examples and no penalty will be given if the third one is wrong.

9/11 Patriot Act War in Iraq War in Afghanistan War on Terrorism Financial Crisis of 2008 Election of Obama

I think one of the problems we have ,especially in the United States with courses like Social Studies, is that we equate academic rigor with learning a lot of content. There is so much content that teachers in New York State have to cover for the Regents exams that it is difficult to do everything in the detail that it deserves.