2092) In the court case of Brown v. United States, Brown argued that the laws of war were broken when the President tried to take over some land that was under the ownership of the enemy forces after the War of 1812. In the Supreme Court hearing, the court decided that “the declaration did not authorize the confiscation...because it had ʻonly [the] effectʼ of creating a state of war.” (Bradley & Goldsmith, pg. 2093) The Supreme Court then decided that the President did not have the powers to obtain property in the U.S., unless otherwise authorized by Congress. Since Brownʼs case versus the U.S., it has
Checks and balances provide a way to make sure no one branch reaches total power. For instance, Congress can try to pass a law but the President can veto any bill that comes his way. Also, if the President ends up doing something unconstitutional, Congress has the power to conduct a trial and impeach the President if necessary. In essence, these checks and balances prevent the US from becoming a totalitarian country. The court case of Marbury v Madison happened when Marbury’s was withheld by Madison and ended up suing James.
Although the First Amendment was always an important part of the bill of rights, modern First Amendment law was not born until after World War I. For this reason, Lincoln and his subordinates imposed restrictions on speech during the Civil War that he likely would not have imposed if he had the benefit of the next 150 years of First Amendment jurisprudence. For example, on September 24, 1862, responding to the grave political and military climate, Lincoln issued a proclamation declaring martial law and authorizing the use of military tribunals to try civilians within the United States who were believed to be “guilty of disloyal practice” or who “afford[ed] aid and comfort to Rebels.” The following March, Major General Ambrose Burnside assumed command of the Department of the Ohio and issued General Order No. 38, authorizing imposition of the death penalty for those who aided the Confederacy and who “declared sympathies for the enemy.” When Democratic congressman Clement L. Vallandigham, perhaps Lincoln’s sharpest Northern critic, referred to Lincoln in a public speech as a political tyrant and called for his overthrow, he was arrested by 150 Union soldiers at his home in Dayton at 2:40 a.m. on May 5, 1863. He was escorted to Kemper Barracks, a military prison in Cincinnati, brought before a military tribunal a day after his arrest, found guilty, and sentenced to imprisonment for the duration of the war.
Drawing upon ideas published in Alfred T. Mahan's book The History of Sea Power Upon History, Roosevelt believed that the United States should acquire ports and territories throughout the world to serve as naval bases to exert American influence and also as commercial outlets for American products. His first book, A History of the Naval War of 1812, advocated military preparedness at all times. As Assistant Secretary of the Navy, he prepared the Navy for war with Spain and persuaded others in the government that Spanish presence should be eradicated from Latin America. As President, Roosevelt enforced this belief when he issued a statement claiming that the United States had the sole authority to interfere in the affairs of the Latin American states and that only the U.S. could punish these states if they misbehaved. This statement later came to be known as the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe
The President ▪ Checks Congress by vetoing bills it has passed ▪ Checks federal courts by nominating judges 3. The Courts ▪ Checks Congress by declaring a law unconstitutional ▪ Checks president by declaring actions by him or his subordinates to be unconstitutional or not authorized by law The Differing Views of Power 1. States ▪ Could not make treaties with foreign nations, coin $, issue paper currency, grant titles of nobility, pass a bill of attainder or an ex post facto law, or without the consent of Congress, levy an taxes on imports or exports, keep troops and ships in time of peace, or enter into an agreement with another state or with foreign power. ▪ “Full faith and credit” will be given to each state to deal with the laws, records, and court decisions of other
In July 1845, John L. O’Sullivan wrote an article in the Annexation that stated that it was Gods will for the United States to expand from coast to coast (Doc. A). less than a year later, President James Polk wrote a war message to the Senate and House of Representatives saying that we should go to war because Mexico attacked the U.S. on Americas land (Doc. B). Although President Polk’s message was ratified by the Senate and House, the United States reason for war wasn’t good enough for them go to war with Mexico.
The government accused Schenck of illegally interfering with military equipment, violating the Espionage Act which prohibits all false statements that interfere with the military power. The court ruled against Schenck and created the clear and present danger test: “whether the words are used in such circumstances as to create a clear and present danger” as Justice Wendell Holmes stated. Overall, the Schenck case rules that freedom of speech could be limited by the government. The true threat doctrine also contributes to if song lyrics should be protected by the first amendment. The Supreme Court ruled in Watts v. United States that “a threat must be distinguished from what is constitutionally protected speech.” Robert Watts made a statement during a rally in the Washington Monument grounds in August 1966: “If they ever make me
There is no doubt that tensions between capitalist and communist countries were high during the Cold War era. President Johnson’s appeal to the United States Congress about the Gulf of Tonkin incident was vital to his plans for containing communism from infiltrating Southeast Asia. I argue that the rhetoric of peace and freedom veils President Johnson’s discussion of military action. Throughout the whole speech, the president used heroic and patriotic language to build up his argument that America needs to protect the countries in Southeast Asia from the endangering communist regime through military power. He asked Congress for a solution “expressing the unity and determination of the United Sates in supporting freedom and in protecting
* Among the issues leading to the war was the British impressments of American sailors into the Royal Navy * Federalists - The political party of Alexander Hamilton, which advocated a strong central government and loose interpretation of the Constitution. * Democratic-Republicans - Party of Jefferson, opposed to the Federalists and their program of strong central government and loose interpretation of the Constitution. 1814 Seize of Spanish Florida * General Andrew Jackson took Pensacola and drove out the British force 1846–48 Mexican-American War * United States recognized the existence of a state of war with Mexico. * After the annexation of Texas in 1845, the United States and Mexico failed to resolve a boundary dispute and President Polk said that it was necessary to deploy forces in Mexico to meet a threatened invasion. 1857–58 Utah
126. Purpose of the war powers resolution - it was meant to check the President's power to taking war-making initiative without consent from Congress. 127. Veto Power – power of president to reject a bill passed by a legislature. 128.