Declarations Were International Notices

The article argues that at the Founding, 'declare war' did not mean Congress must preauthorize hostilities. Drawing on British practice, it claims declarations primarily served as international-law notices of a conflict’s legal status, often issued after fighting began. Under this view, presidents can initiate force, while Congress retains control through funding. — This reframes war‑powers oversight away from preauthorization toward budgetary and political checks, affecting how current and future conflicts are debated and constrained.