Who may declare war?
A. President
B. House of Representatives
C. Senate
D. Entire Congress
I am torn between A & D (but leaning toward D). Please help.
D is correct.
http://www.heritage.org/constitution#!/articles/1/essays/49/declare-war
The power to declare war is vested in the United States Constitution and is a complex process involving multiple branches of government. Let me explain how each option you mentioned plays a role in the decision to declare war.
A. President: The President of the United States is the commander-in-chief of the military and has significant authority in matters of war. While the President has the power to engage in military conflicts and direct military operations, the power to formally declare war is not explicitly given to the President alone.
B. House of Representatives: The House of Representatives, as one of the two chambers of Congress, plays a crucial role in the process of declaring war. The Constitution grants the power to declare war to Congress, which is composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
C. Senate: Similar to the House of Representatives, the Senate is a key component of the decision-making process regarding the declaration of war. The Senate, as part of Congress, has the power to declare war.
D. Entire Congress: In the context of the question, "Entire Congress" refers to both the House of Representatives and the Senate together. As mentioned earlier, the power to declare war resides with Congress as a whole, which means that a declaration of war must be approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
To summarize, while the President has significant authority in military matters, the formal power to declare war lies with Congress (both the House of Representatives and the Senate), making option D - Entire Congress - the correct answer.