Foreign policy & defense
War Powers Resolution
The 1973 law requiring the President to report the introduction of forces into hostilities within 48 hours and to withdraw them within 60 days absent authorization.
In full
Passed over Nixon's veto, it aimed to restore Congress's role after Vietnam. Every President since has questioned its constitutionality while generally reporting under it, and the sixty-day clock has been avoided by arguing that particular operations do not amount to hostilities. Courts have largely declined to referee, treating the disputes as political questions.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.