F12: Congress v The President

(a) Identify ONE formal constitutional power of the President in making foreign policy.

• The president has the power to appoint ambassadors to other countries.

(b) Identify ONE formal constitutional power of Congress in making foreign policy.

• Only congress has the constitutional power to declare war. 

(c) Identify ONE informal powers of the President that contribute to the President's advantage over Congress in making foreign policy.

• The President is able to send in troops to another foreign country for at least 60 days, due to the War Powers Act. 

(d) Explain how the informal powers you described above contributes to the President's advantage over Congress in making foreign policy.

• The President is able to send troops in to fight against foreign countries, without declaring war. For example, the United States has not declared war since WWII, but troops have been sent to Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and other various countries. 

(e) Explain ONE provision of the War Powers Act that Congress wrote to limit the president's power.

• A provision of the War Powers Act is that the President needs permission from congress to keep troops in a foreign country for more than 60 days, although this rule is rarely followed.