l incoln’s s hadow 67
Also, wartime presidents usually have had to deal with signifi cant
partisan opposition in Congress, which may demand fi scal prudence as
the price of cooperation in financing the conflict. The Democrats
during the Civil War, however, could not pose an eff ective legislative
check on Republican programs. It helped, too, that key Republican
initiatives either involved no direct revenue loss (homestead acreage was
carved out of public lands that would not otherwise generate revenue)
or contributed to revenue collection (protective tariff s). In sum, a pecu-
liar set of circumstances placed the president’s governing coalition in
that rarest of wartime positions: it could aff ord both guns and butter, a
situation that let it buy political support.
Toward Reconstruction
Planning for peace is very much a part of a nation’s war policy. Funda-
mental war goals will shape the tasks a nation will face once the fi ghting
concludes or winds down. In wars with sweeping goals that result in
profound political, economic, and social disruption, the postwar project
is very demanding. New political and social institutions have to be
created, potentially requiring a long-term commitment to a politico-
military occupation by the victor and substantial postwar expenditures.
Institution-building will be impeded if elements among the defeated
side refuse to accept their loss and turn to protracted resistance,
including violent insurgency.
Vital though preparing for the aftermath of a conflict might be,
political leaders may be tempted to avoid the task or minimize its
hazards. Th ey have what appears to be a more urgent matter on their
plate—the need to bring the war to a swift and successful conclusion.
With their limited time and waning reserves of energy, they are prone
to devote themselves to the immediate problems of directing the war
eff ort, sustaining popular morale, and providing the resources to win
on the battlefi eld. Peace also spells the end of whatever unity the com-
mitment to victory inspired among various political actors and social
groups. In the United States, moreover, postwar planning may provoke
confl icts between the White House and Congress that were tamped
down by the need for cooperation during the war. Th e return of peace