Peace, War, and Partnership

This week’s review analyzes the “relationship between the Congress, the president, and the military,” focusing on the United States post-World War II.

Posted on May 26, 2025 in Reviews of the Month

Peace, War, and Partnership: Congress and the Military since World War II

ed. by William A. Taylor Texas A&M, 2023
248p bibl index, 9781648431371 $55.00, 9781648431388

In these collected essays, editor Taylor (Angel State Univ.) covers the relationship between the Congress, the president, and the military. The contributors—all acknowledged experts in their fields—explore the intersection of policy, politics, technology, and society from World War II to the present. Interesting chapters explore the often contentious interactions between the Congress, the president, and the military during a specific period of time against the backdrop of world events and in the context of US national security interests. Some periods in this history found these groups working together harmoniously, and at other times, they were at odds. For example, Charles A. Stevenson’s chapter on the 1960s takes an excellent look at everything from policy to funding, social issues, the draft, elections, and more. Each chapter has excellent notes and are well written and fairly easy for students and nonacademics to read and understand. Recommended for anyone trying to understand the military, the Constitution, and the presidency in post–WW II America.

Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduates and graduate students.
Reviewer: S. R. DiMarco, Commonwealth University of PA
Subject: Social & Behavioral Sciences – Political Science – U.S. Politics
Choice Issue: Mar 2024

Peace, War, and Partnership

This week’s review analyzes the “relationship between the Congress, the president, and the military,” focusing on the United States post-World War II.