Case for Congress

"The Case for Congress: Separation of Powers and the War on Terror" examines the constitutional relationship between Congress and the President in the post-September 11 world and argues that Congress should exercise its legitimate authority in guiding United States policy. While scholarly and other commentators have focused on the extent of the President's national security and foreign affairs authority, both domestically and abroad, authors Victor M. Hansen and Lawrence Friedman focus on the constitutional authority of Congress to serve as a check on executive power. As a national consensus has developed around the notion that the Bush administration made grave errors in its policy decisions, a reminder of the leading role that Congress can play in those decisions is particularly appropriate. Unlike scholarly work devoted either to detailing the Bush administration's policy decisions or to criticizing those decisions, this book focuses, in an accessible and balanced way, on the policies themselves, and on the way in which Congress can influence those policies for the better. The authors further offer specific and useful recommendations for legislative measures that may correct existing policy deficiencies and promote sounder decision-making in the area of national security and foreign affairs.