Myth- The President can declare war on anyone?

Myth- The President can declare war on anyone?

Matthew Jones (Political Science Instructor) gives expert video advice on: Myth- The President controls the US budget?; Myth- The President can abolish the IRS?; Myth- The President is responsible for the economy? and more...

The President does not have the power to declare war. That is constitutionally left in the hands of Congress who has the power to declare war or not to declare war. That is technically the case, but over the years there have been grey areas and qualifications that have gone into that. The Vietnam War, for instance, was not a declared war. It was a police action. The President is still the commander-in-chief of the military. So even if Congress declares war on a particular country, the President still has power to, for instance, not order troops over there. The President has the power to order troops wherever he wants to.