Question

How did the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution influence the authority of President Johnson?

a. It gave the president a blank check and use of all necessary means to fight the North Vietnamese.
Following incidents involving two American destroyers, Congress issued the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in order to allow Johnson to take whatever action necessary to win the war in Vietnam.
b. The horrors of combat during the Tet Offensive were aired to the American public nightly, turning many against the war.
c. The conflict in Syria, because both are proxy wars
d. Because Soviet nuclear weaponry was in range of American territory

Answer 1

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution significantly expanded President Johnson's authority, allowing him to conduct military operations in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war. This led to a substantial increase in U.S. troops and a deeper American involvement in the Vietnam conflict. The resolution stood until January 1971, when it was revoked due to increasing public opposition to the war.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution had a significant impact on the authority of President Johnson during the Vietnam War. After reports of attacks on American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin, Congress passed the resolution on August 7, 1964, which effectively granted President Johnson almost unlimited power to conduct military operations in Vietnam. This blank check allowed him to escalate U.S. involvement without a formal declaration of war.

The resolution was largely based on incidents involving the USS Maddox and the USS Turner Joy, where it was reported that they had come under attack by North Vietnamese forces, although later evidence suggested that at least the second of these attacks did not actually occur. Despite the questionable nature of these incidents, the resolution won nearly unanimous support in Congress and empowered President Johnson to massively increase U.S. military presence, with troop numbers in Vietnam swelling to over 184,000 by the end of 1965.

Critically, the resolution also engendered a transformation in the American role in the conflict, from advising South Vietnam to full-scale combat operations. This expansion of presidential power remained in effect until it was repealed in January 1971, amidst growing public opposition to the war and doubt about its morality.