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The Daily Insight Hub

Can the state raise an army?

Author

Matthew Harrington

Updated on December 28, 2025

§ 109 which provides that state defense forces as a whole may not be called, ordered, or drafted into the armed forces of the United States, thus preserving their separation from the National Guard. State defense forces generally operate with emergency management and homeland security missions.

Can states raise and support armed forces?

1.1 Power to Raise and Support an Army: Overview. Article I, Section 8, Clause 12: [The Congress shall have Power . . . ] To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; . . .

Can Congress raise an army?

Under Article I, Section 8, Congress has the power to declare war, raise and support Armies, provide and maintain a Navy, and organize, arm, discipline, and call forth a militia. Congress may set up military courts and tribunals.

When has Congress raised an army?

But this army was not the official army of the United States. Finally, on September 29, 1789, the last day of its first session, the U.S. Congress passed an act to establish the United States military. However, this happened only after President Washington reminded them, twice!

Who has the power to declare war in the USA?

The Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war. Congress has declared war on 11 occasions, including its first declaration of war with Great Britain in 1812.

Is the US Army constitutional?

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Philadelphia provided checks on any standing army by allowing the President to command it, but Congress to finance it using short-term legislation. Congress had the power to do this under Article I, Section 8, Clause 12, known as the Army Clause.

Is the US army constitutional?

Why was it difficult for America to raise an army?

What problems did the Continental Congress face in raising an army to fight during the American Revolution? Fear that the Continental Congress would control the colonies as the British Parliament had; thus it had difficulty enlisting soldiers and raising money.

What can a president do without Congress?

The president can issue rules, regulations, and instructions called executive orders, which have the binding force of law upon federal agencies but do not require approval of the United States Congress. Executive orders are subject to judicial review and interpretation.

Is the US army unconstitutional?

Article 1, Section 8, Clause 12 (Army Clause) of our Constitution reads “The Congress shall have Power To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years….”

Can the president declare war without Congress?

It provides that the president can send the U.S. Armed Forces into action abroad only by declaration of war by Congress, “statutory authorization,” or in case of “a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.”

Is the military constitutionally mandated?

The Constitution grants to Congress the power to raise and support armies and a navy, to suppress insurrections, and repel invasion among other military-related governmental roles. Congress’s control over formation, organization and government of the national armies is plenary and exclusive.

Can Congress declare war?

The Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war. Congress has declared war on 11 occasions, including its first declaration of war with Great Britain in 1812. Congress approved its last formal declaration of war during World War II.

Can Congress raise taxes?

S8. C1. 1 Taxing Power. The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; . . .

What allowed the United States to raise an army quickly?

The Articles of Confederation, which were finally ratified in 1781, established the ability to raise troops for the common defense of the United States. (It also allowed individual states to declare war under certain conditions.)

What’s the power to raise and support an army?

Article I, Section 8, Clause 12: [The Congress shall have Power . . . ] To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; . . .

What’s the best way to raise an army?

First, drop the Pentagon’s “train and equip” mentality. Raising armies is more sophisticated than this, and involves engaging civil society, growing leaders, building institutions and instilling professionalism. Training and equipping alone only gives you better dressed soldiers who shoot straighter.

What kind of military does each state have?

State defense forces ( SDF; also known as state military, state guards, state militias, or state military reserves) in the United States are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government. State defense forces are authorized by state and federal law and are under the command of the governor of each state.

When did the states start their own militaries?

During WWII, the 1916 legislation was amended to allow state militaries to defend their own states. Now called State Guards, they were trained and equipped by the federal government but maintained their separation. It wasn’t until 1956 that Congress allowed for the continual existence of these units outside of a wartime role.