Homework

Homework

Homework

The article titled ‘Foreign Relations, Strategic Doctrine, And Presidential Power’ authored by David Gartner was published in the Alabama Law Review journal in 2012 ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"RROicqhs","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Gartner, 2011)","plainCitation":"(Gartner, 2011)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":17,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/KXWPWQJM"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/KXWPWQJM"],"itemData":{"id":17,"type":"article-journal","title":"Foreign Relations, Strategic Doctrine, and Presidential Power","container-title":"Ala. L. Rev.","page":"499","volume":"63","author":[{"family":"Gartner","given":"David"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2011"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Gartner, 2011). This homework assignment is designed to analyze the summary, context, main argument and general response of the article which are described below.

Summary of the main argument

The author argues that Presidential powers have remained the focus of attention from the early years of America. The American political scientists for long argue that American President inherits power from the founding fathers and for this reason they remain too assertive in the exercise of their authority. However, Gartner argues that various shifts in the domestic and foreign realm, have expanded the scope of Presidential powers. This is the primary argument, Gartner has emphasized throughout the article. In the introductory paragraph, the author has pointed toward the limits of Presidential authority which has helped in making the case for his arguments. He has mentioned about the historical events, which has made it quite easy for the readers to learn history and make an understanding of how the Presidential authority has expanded throughout the times. In closing the introductory paragraph the author mentions that ‘major fulcrum of change in the foreign relations law which emerged in the twentieth century was the strategic foreign policy constructs of the President ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"OenFWLRh","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Gartner, 2011, p. 503)","plainCitation":"(Gartner, 2011, p. 503)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":17,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/KXWPWQJM"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/KXWPWQJM"],"itemData":{"id":17,"type":"article-journal","title":"Foreign Relations, Strategic Doctrine, and Presidential Power","container-title":"Ala. L. Rev.","page":"499","volume":"63","author":[{"family":"Gartner","given":"David"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2011"]]}},"locator":"503","label":"page"}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Gartner, 2011, p. 503). Since he has made the case throughout the introductory paragraph for this statement, therefore it appears that this is the primary argument, the author wants to address in the article.

Context

The argument presented in the article is quite contemporary in nature, therefore it is significant too. There is a bunch of literature which has been written about the Presidential powers enshrined by the constitution of America, but least of them historically authenticate the reason for such enhanced powers. Therefore, the author is addressing the critics of the American constitution and Congress which believe that there must be checks and balances over the Presidential powers. Invalidating his argument, the author has referred to various historical incidences. For example, he referred to the incidences which took place in the last decades of the nineteenth century, the Spanish- American war and the some events of the early twentieth century, therefore the year of publication suggest that any such debate at this point in time remains useless. The author has substantiated his narrative by refereeing toward the Congressional initiatives which are some different positions he tried to validate his argument. By denoting toward the quote of President Jefferson that ‘Considering that Congress alone is constitutionally invested with the power of changing our condition from peace to war’, he validates his stance ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"3OjKw029","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Gartner, 2011, p. 505)","plainCitation":"(Gartner, 2011, p. 505)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":17,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/KXWPWQJM"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/KXWPWQJM"],"itemData":{"id":17,"type":"article-journal","title":"Foreign Relations, Strategic Doctrine, and Presidential Power","container-title":"Ala. L. Rev.","page":"499","volume":"63","author":[{"family":"Gartner","given":"David"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2011"]]}},"locator":"505","label":"page"}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Gartner, 2011, p. 505). Other than this he has comparatively analyzed similar perspective throughout the article which serves his purpose of reaching toward an authentic opinion.

Evidence

Since the subject of the article is quite general in nature, and the author’s argument is too objective, therefore he has employed various evidences to authenticate his argument. The most commonly used evidence approach are the references of historical incidences for example, he has mentioned about Spanish- American War, and President Roosevelt support for that. In this context he refers to the words of President Roosevelt that ‘such a war would result at once in getting a proper navy ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"rl82FhgF","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Gartner, 2011, p. 512)","plainCitation":"(Gartner, 2011, p. 512)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":17,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/KXWPWQJM"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/KXWPWQJM"],"itemData":{"id":17,"type":"article-journal","title":"Foreign Relations, Strategic Doctrine, and Presidential Power","container-title":"Ala. L. Rev.","page":"499","volume":"63","author":[{"family":"Gartner","given":"David"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2011"]]}},"locator":"512","label":"page"}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Gartner, 2011, p. 512)’. Another approach the author has widely used is the allusion of common knowledge. For example, at many places in the article, he criticizes the common knowledge of people and restructures it by pointing toward the historical causes attached to it. For example, he criticizes the general belief that war actions carried by marines are not common rather valuable ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"5biOPOwA","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Gartner, 2011, p. 526)","plainCitation":"(Gartner, 2011, p. 526)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":17,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/KXWPWQJM"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/KXWPWQJM"],"itemData":{"id":17,"type":"article-journal","title":"Foreign Relations, Strategic Doctrine, and Presidential Power","container-title":"Ala. L. Rev.","page":"499","volume":"63","author":[{"family":"Gartner","given":"David"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2011"]]}},"locator":"526","label":"page"}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Gartner, 2011, p. 526).

General response

I believe that Gartner’s article has refurbished some of the common beliefs, I had in my mind like many Americans. I had the knowledge about how things at the Presidential level work but I was not aware of the systematic procedures involved in such conducts. In short, the article provides knowledge about the most debated aspect of American politics by denoting toward the historical knowledge attached to this subject.

References:

ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Gartner, D. (2011). Foreign Relations, Strategic Doctrine, and Presidential Power. Ala. L. Rev., 63, 499.