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How do we get into wars in the first place? The framers of our Constitution had a clear idea: They gave Congress, the branch closest to the people, the power to declare war, and the President the right to prosecute it.
我們如何發起戰爭呢？立憲者們描述得很清楚：代表人民群眾的國會有發起戰爭的權利，總統有執行戰爭的權利。
Going to war, the founders of our nation believed, should be a shared responsibility. By the time of the Vietnam War, however, Congress had watched a series of presidents send U.S. forces overseas with little or no consultation beforehand. So, in 1973, over President Nixon's veto, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution, to claim a stronger role in the decision to send our troops into combat.
我們國家的創始人相信，參加戰爭應是一份共同的責任。然而到越戰時，多任總統在向海外輸送兵力之前很少或沒有與國會協商。因此在1973年，國會在尼克松總統反對的情況下，仍然通過了《戰爭權力決議案》，要求在決定是否派兵出戰上給予國會更大權利。
The legislation has proven to be seriously flawed, however. Nothing in it actually requires joint deliberation before going to war, and it contains loopholes that presidents have been only too happy to exploit.
然而事實證明，這項立法具有嚴重的缺陷。實際上，在開戰前沒有任何事項需要共同的協商。而且總統也很樂意利用其中含有的漏洞。
Only once, after the Navy ship the Mayaguez was captured by Cambodia in 1975, has a President actually acted pursuant to the War Powers Resolution. Congress has been unable to address the ambiguities in the measure. So despite its noble attempt more than 30 years ago to restore some balance when it comes to making war, the power remains largely with the President.
在1975年美國海軍船馬亞圭斯號在柬埔寨被俘時，總統才依照《戰爭權力決議案》行動過一次，僅此一次。國會一直沒能處理好這種分歧。雖然30年多前國會曾試圖緩和這種失衡的現狀，但一涉及到戰爭，總統仍然掌握著大部分權力。
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