Wars Make or Break Presidencies

The late presidential scholar R. Gordon Hoxie in his book Command Decision and the Presidency noted that “in the system conceived by the framers of the Constitution and set in motion by the first Washington administration, command decision is inherent in the commander in chief office.” Historian Herbert Feis agreed: “When peace or war is at issue, the president cannot leave the decision to others without forfeiting the responsibility of his office.”