Who has the power to declare war in the United States?

The power to declare war in the United States is vested in Congress, specifically outlined in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. This provision grants Congress the authority to make decisions regarding the initiation of military conflict, reflecting the framers' intention to ensure that a body representative of the people, rather than a single individual, holds such significant power.

While the President, as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, has the authority to direct military operations and respond to threats or engage in military actions without formal declarations of war, the constitutional process requires that any official declaration of war must come from Congress. This division of power is designed to provide checks and balances within the government and to prevent any one branch from having unilateral control over military engagement.

In contrast, the other choices do not possess the constitutional authority to declare war: the Supreme Court is charged with interpreting laws and the Constitution, rather than enacting them, and while the House of Representatives has a role in budgeting and funding military expenditures, it is still Congress as a whole that holds the power to formally declare war.