Constraining Open Deliberation in Times of War: Presidential War Justifications for Grenada and the Persian Gulf

In justifying military action in Grenada and the Persian Gulf, Presidents Reagan and Bush us, four means to discourage open public deliberation about waging war. Using such means not only violates the intrinsic value that democracy places on the process of open deliberation, but also undermines the formation of genuine public opinion, a product of open deliberation.