This page is about what the commander in chief is.
Commander in Chief
This page is about what the commander in chief is.
INTRODUCTION
The President has many roles and one
of them is the Commander in Chief. Congress has the power to maintain
an army and declare war, but the Commander in Chief is the leader of the
armed forces and the only authority that can order American soldiers into
battle. These roles were given by the constitution. The framers of
the constitution did not give the President a military job so that he wouldn't
try to take over the government.
THE WAR POWERS ACT
In the past, Presidents hve used the
power of Commander in chief and actually threatened the system of checks
and balances. This happened because at one point the President (one
person) had the power to engage war for as long as he wanted. One
example of this is the Vietnam War. Because of this, the President
now has to notify congress immediately when troops are sent to battle.
The troops will be sent home in 60 days unless the congress approves for
them to stay longer or if congress declares war.
PEACETIME ROLE
During a war, the President can order
the army to take over the government of another country. The President
also has the power to tell the armed forces to do many other things.
One of these things is keeping order within the United States. One way
that he is keeping order now is by placing armed troops in airports to
secure things better.
LINKS
http://www.whitehouse.gov/president
