Deliberation 6: Your Right to Peace
Should Americans have a say in whether our government enters into or funds war or mass atrocities with our tax dollars?
Explicitly:
Should the Constitution place clear limits on unchecked executive war powers, including when and how the United States can engage in armed conflict?
Who should have the authority to authorize war, military force, and long-term military actions, and what checks should exist to prevent abuse?
Should the Constitution require accountability for war crimes, civilian harm, and mass suffering caused or enabled by U.S. actions?
If Congress can’t agree, should a citizens’ group get to decide whether the U.S. uses military force?
Should a citizens’ group have full authority to decide when the U.S. uses its military - and should the public be told the costs, with that same group deciding whether the action is truly in our national interest?
Should U.S. foreign policy be constitutionally required to align with international human rights and humanitarian law?
Should taxpayer funds be prohibited from supporting actions that violate human rights or undermine human dignity?
What mechanisms should exist to ensure transparency, public oversight, and accountability in decisions of war and peace?
Information for joining the deliberation: Coming Soon!
Background
The Constitution split war powers on purpose. Congress was supposed to decide when we go to war, and the president was supposed to run the military - but not act alone. The goal was simple: stop one person from dragging the country into endless conflict. But the Constitution never clearly set limits on military force, civilian harm, or war crimes, and over time real power shifted to the executive branch. That’s how we ended up with long, undeclared wars decided far from public consent or accountability.
As U.S. military reach expanded, so did public pushback. After the world wars, global rules like the Geneva Conventions were created to protect civilians - but they were never written into the Constitution. The Vietnam War sparked mass protest and led Congress to try to rein in war powers, but conflicts since then have kept raising the same question: who’s accountable when civilians are killed, rights are violated, and wars never end? Should American power be guided only by the costs to human life, dignity, and democratic consent?