Question

Congress has formally declared war ________ times in U.S. history.

a. 2
b. 5
c. 55
d. 200
e. 6,500

Answer 1

Congress has officially declared war 5 times in U.S. history. Post-WWII military actions have been supported by alternative forms of authorization, and the War Powers Resolution aimed to regulate presidential military engagement.

Step-by-step explanation:

Congress has formally declared war 5 times in U.S. history. This occurred during the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II. After World War II, presidents have not sought formal declarations of war from Congress. Instead, they have often used congressional authorizations to use force, United Nations resolutions, actions by North American Treaty Organization (NATO), or requests from international organizations to justify military actions, as seen with conflicts like Vietnam, Iraq, and others. Moreover, the War Powers Resolution of 1973 sought to check the president's power by requiring the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action without a declaration of war, with a limit of 90 days for such engagement without Congress's approval.