What if the Ludlow Amendment, which would have required a national referendum in order to declare war (unless the U.S. is directly attacked), was passed, and became part of the Constitution? The actual text of the amendment is:
There certainly wouldn't have been a referendum for declaring war on Japan, since that was an actual attack on the United States. At first I thought this would eliminate the possibility of all the interventions following World War II, but then I remembered that the United States didn't declare war on any of those countries.
SEC. 1. Except in the event of an invasion of the United States or its Territorial possessions and attack upon its citizens residing therein, the authority of Congress to declare war shall not become effective until confirmed by a majority of all votes cast thereon in a Nation-wide referendum. Congress, when it deems a national crisis to exist, may by concurrent resolution refer the question of war or peace to the citizens of the States, the question to be voted on being, Shall the United States declare war on ________? Congress may otherwise by law provide for the enforcement of this section.
SEC. 2. Whenever war is declared the President shall immediately conscript and take for use by the Government all the public and private war properties, yards, factories, and supplies, together with employees necessary for their operation, fixing the compensation for private properties temporarily employed for the war period at a rate not in excess of 4 percent based on tax values assessed in the year preceding the war.
There certainly wouldn't have been a referendum for declaring war on Japan, since that was an actual attack on the United States. At first I thought this would eliminate the possibility of all the interventions following World War II, but then I remembered that the United States didn't declare war on any of those countries.