Lesson Report:
# **Lesson Report: Congressional Powers in U.S. Foreign Policy**
### **Synopsis**
This lesson focused on the role of Congress in shaping U.S. foreign policy, examining its constitutional powers and the ways in which presidents have historically worked within or around these constraints. Students continued working on their memo activity from the previous session, crafting policy recommendations from different political perspectives. The lecture then explored Congress’s powers in declaring war, ratifying treaties, and approving foreign policy appointments, alongside executive workarounds such as executive agreements and military deployments without congressional approval.
—
### **Attendance**
– Rafael was absent.
—
### **Topics Covered**
#### **1. Memo Activity – Policy Outlines**
– Students completed their memo outlines, representing different perspectives on U.S. military and financial aid to Ukraine.
– **Memo Groups & Positions:**
– **Human Rights Advocacy (Hamdan)** – Advocating for war crime tribunals and ensuring allies receiving aid comply with human rights standards.
– **Government Efficiency (Rafael’s Partner)** – Argument against U.S. aid to Ukraine, claiming a financial imbalance and the need to redirect funds to domestic needs.
– **Pro-Arming Ukraine (Timur)** – Suggested shifting military aid to a loan-based model rather than grants and proposed increased cooperation with EU partners.
#### **2. Overview of Congressional Powers**
– Introduction to the **checks and balances system** in U.S. government.
– Understanding of **Congress’s war powers**:
– **Power to declare war**
– **Control over military funding**
– **Authority to ratify treaties**
– **Congressional oversight:** Ability to investigate actions taken by the executive branch.
– The **War Powers Act of 1973** as an attempt to restrict the president’s ability to deploy military forces abroad.
#### **3. Presidential Workarounds to Congressional Limits**
– **Executive Agreements**:
– Used when Congress does not ratify a treaty (e.g., **Iran Nuclear Deal** in 2015).
– Less stable than treaties as future presidents can void them (e.g., Trump withdrawing from the Iran agreement).
– **Military Deployments Without War Declarations**:
– Case studies: Vietnam, Kosovo, Libya, Iraq.
– **War Powers Resolution (1973)**:
– Requires notification to Congress within **48 hours** of troop deployment.
– Limits engagements to **60 days** without congressional approval.
– Allows Congress to **force withdrawal**.
#### **4. Assignments & Discussion Prep for Next Class**
– Explanation of an upcoming **foreign policy bill debate**:
– Students will adopt congressional roles and argue for or against certain provisions in a draft bill provided on the course website.
– Bill will be posted by **8 p.m. today** for review before the next class.
—
### **Actionable Items**
#### **Urgent Assignments**
– **Memo outlines should be saved** for later use in the upcoming major assignment.
– **Policy debate preparation**:
– Review the posted bill before the next class.
– Be ready to argue from the perspective of an assigned congressional role.
#### **Homework Submission Issues**
– **Deadline for the current paper is midnight tonight**.
– **Hamdan’s technical issues**:
– If unable to meet the deadline, **must provide an official IT service report** with a stamp or an email from an official work account.
#### **Administrative Notes**
– Midterm assessment will be a **paper due on April 2nd** rather than an exam.
– No changes to grading policies or major course deadlines.
—
This report provides a summary of the lesson discussions, helping to track the class’s academic progress. Let me know if you need specific adjustments!
Homework Instructions:
ASSIGNMENT #1: Congressional Role in U.S. Foreign Policy Bill Analysis
In this assignment, you will analyze a draft bill related to U.S. foreign policy, focusing on the role of Congress in shaping international relations. Your goal is to evaluate the provisions of the bill from the perspective of a specific Congressional or governmental actor and prepare arguments supporting or opposing its components.
Instructions:
1. **Read the Draft Bill:** The draft bill will be posted on eCourse by 8 p.m. today. Carefully read through its provisions, noting key policies and objectives.
2. **Assign Yourself a Role:** Consider a Congressional or governmental actor’s perspective on the bill. This could include members of Congress (e.g., Senate Foreign Relations Committee members), governmental departments (e.g., State Department, Department of Defense), or advisors with a stake in foreign policy decisions.
3. **Analyze the Bill’s Provisions:** Identify specific sections of the bill that align with or oppose your assigned actor’s viewpoints. Take notes on why your actor would support or object to these policies.
4. **Prepare Policy Arguments:** Formulate arguments based on your assigned role’s political stance, priorities, and past actions:
– If your role supports elements of the bill, provide reasoning and possible historical examples or statistics to justify your stance.
– If your role opposes elements of the bill, explain why and provide potential alternatives or critique existing provisions.
5. **Formulate Actionable Recommendations:** Beyond just stating support or opposition, outline clear recommendations on what should be added, changed, or removed from the bill to align with your assigned actor’s priorities.
6. **Discussion Preparation:** Be ready to present your analysis during Wednesday’s class discussion. You should be able to articulate your actor’s stance clearly and respond to potential counterarguments from classmates portraying different roles.
7. **Save Your Work:** Ensure that you keep a copy of your arguments and analysis, as this activity may be useful for future assignments, including your second major paper.
This assignment allows you to engage critically with the complexities of congressional influence on U.S. foreign policy, preparing you for deeper discussions and written analyses in upcoming coursework.