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So, with the title, exactly what powers does the President have?

This is not a trick question, just an honest one.

You see, in Britain, we have the various Military Intelligence Departments, the Prime Minister, and the Queen. The Queen (or King, depending on who is on the throne) essentially owns our Armed Forces, though her Government pays for them. Thus, should Parliament elect to go to war, the serving Prime Minister has to ask her majesties permission to use her army. Technically, I belive she is not actually allowed to refuse, but she has to be asked regardless (I'd love it if the Monarch did one day tell the Government to knob off and use their own. That'd be well funny!)

So, in Britain, the MI Departments advise the Government. Government prepares it's case, which is then debated and voted on in the Commons, ratified by the Lords, and then the PM has to go ask Queenie to go pick a fight for him.

How does this work in the US? I know the President is Commander in Chief, and as such eventually has to make a decision to go to War, but how much power and influence does he actually wield in the Military? Is the role largely just pomp and ceremony, or is it a very real thing?

Straight answers only please!

The President generally "runs" the military and prosecutes the various wars along the frontiers of the empire, er in the world. The power is very real. Plus the president ahs the nuclear football in event of attack and can do the ultimate Go Postal! Legally only Congress can declare war. Congress makes appropriations (power of the purse) and has to affirm cabinet appointments.

Hmm...that's rough. If he so chose, he could go in the field, and take command of the military. He can order them to war, mostly, but needs the vote to go through congress. For the most part, it is pomp and ceremony...but, again, he is the end-all-be-all. He can go and lead. It would more than likely never be allowed, just as if the Queen were to drop the tidy outfit and don a camo jumpsuit. Typically, they are advised by, well, their advisors, that are more tactically knowledgeable, on the actual military issues, and they make the final calls on that.

So, I hope that ansers you question a little, and, I hope I'm mostly right.

Blood

So it's pretty much the same.

Technical heads of Military and could do whatever they bloody well please with it, but with various methods to prevent just that happening?

I assume this means that once he has declared War, barring the Nuclear option, thats pretty much it as far as his authority goes, with the actual planning and execution of plans being done by the Generals and others paid and trained to do so?

Peacetime. El Presidente runs the day to day operations of the military via his appointments for Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs. Once confirmed by Congress they are generaly out fo the lopp on day to day stuff. but they can pass laws to change things. Ie. they could pass a law to permit women in combat, or stop it. But generally Congress stays out of the day to day stuff in peacetime. They generally stay out of the day to day stuff in wartime to, especially if the US is winning. We don't tolerate losers very well.

Also the President can't just nuke Bolivia if Bolivia looks at us funny (unless Bolivia nukes us of course).

Seems that way. He can, ultimately, veto and override everything that is thrown at him, and do very bad things. But, there is that whole checks and balances system that keeps him from doing any of that easily. Well, maybe not the current administration, but, in general. Frazz is right on the money. They leave him and his appointed lackies...err...advisors, alone. Unless they want to do something really stupid, or they get caught doing something stupid, then they take interest. It's pretty much the same in both countries, with a few minor differences in policy and presentation.

Blood

Cool. Thanks guys!

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:So, with the title, exactly what powers does the President have?

This is not a trick question, just an honest one.

You see, in Britain, we have the various Military Intelligence Departments, the Prime Minister, and the Queen. The Queen (or King, depending on who is on the throne) essentially owns our Armed Forces, though her Government pays for them. Thus, should Parliament elect to go to war, the serving Prime Minister has to ask her majesties permission to use her army. Technically, I belive she is not actually allowed to refuse, but she has to be asked regardless (I'd love it if the Monarch did one day tell the Government to knob off and use their own. That'd be well funny!)

So, in Britain, the MI Departments advise the Government. Government prepares it's case, which is then debated and voted on in the Commons, ratified by the Lords, and then the PM has to go ask Queenie to go pick a fight for him.

Few slight corrections.

The Prime Minister is actually under no obligation to get a passed vote in the Houses to declare war. In terms of practicality he/she does need the support of the majority of the house ( usually by default his/her party) but this isn't a legal requirement per se.

The Queen is indeed the titular head of the armed forces, but her "blessing" is again really just for show, the key agreement is with the actual head of the armed forces.

Incidentally it is illegal to arm, raise or equip an army in the UK without the consent of parliament. Technically each year parliament has to pass a bill "legalising" the existing forces.

Similarly the PM can't actually launch a nuclear missile/similar, as he holds no military rank. All he can do is authorise the head of the army to deploy them. It's a deliberate safeguard built into out setup.

The President can't declare war it has to be done by Congress -- that's why the Vietnam War was classed as a "police action" to avoid having Congress declare war -- this allowed the president (Lyndon Johnson) to run the war.

During the American Civil War, President Lincoln issued orders to the various generals at a high level of strategy. (For example, he specified that a certain number of troops should be left to shield Washinton DC when the rest of the army was sent to the Peninsular.)

At one time Lincoln got so fed up with the inactivity of General McClellan that he sent a letter asking if the general did not propose to use the army, then could he borrow it for a while.

Lincoln came under enemy fire at one point when Confederates got close to the forts surrounding Washington. I don't remember the specific date.

BTW I believe it is not necessary for the PM of the UK to seek approval of Parliament for a declaration of war.

Yes, usually the President nmow asks for permission in a more general way-this has been done for Iraq I/II, and Vietnam. Should be more formal though.

No offense, but isn't this a question better reserved for a resource book, or maybe a web search? Unless it's some kind of social studies test, or trying to get the "common man's" ideas.

Probably, but why not ask my fellow posters?

There is nothing here to put political spin on really, and I thought it would prove an interesting topic for a short conversation.

I should note the President has access to an additional asset, and he has a plan.

The president's powers relate to more than just war, although that's probably the big one.

The trick is in the name given to the office, 'the executive'. Basically the president is there to execute the laws of the government. To this end the president appoints a whole pile of different officials, like two or three thousand positions. The most important of these are the cabinet, who set strategies for various government departments, and supreme court justices, who get to decide if abortion is murder or not.

Let us not forget that the Executive is the face of the US, controlling the State Department as well as all the meets and greets with foreign dignitaries. He also certifies ambassadors.

Kilkrazy wrote:The President can't declare war it has to be done by Congress -- that's why the Vietnam War was classed as a "police action" to avoid having Congress declare war -- this allowed the president (Lyndon Johnson) to run the war.

And allowed us to pull France's arse out of the fire again.

France's arse was not saved since they lost their Indo-chinese empire and the Domino theory dictated that the USA should intervene.

Altogether not one of the more glorious episodes in the history of western imperialism.

But look at Vietnam now. The west having ignored the country for 30 years, communism is seen to have failed and the country is slowly and quietly becoming a prosperous market economy. How much democracy will follow remains to be seen.

I guess that would fall under option number 3, mad doc. Fire away.