Question

Which of the following statements accurately describes an effect of the Tonkin Gulf resolution?

a. Because it was in response to a Viet Cong attack upon an American military base, members of the American military quickly became experts in guerrilla warfare.
b. Because the resolution deeply divided Congress and almost failed to pass, Johnson took great caution and deferred to Congress for other military decisions.
c. Because nearly all senators supported the resolution, Johnson took their approval as reason to use the resolution as a substitute for a declaration of war.
d. Because the resolution authorized American naval aggression off the coast of North Vietnam, the war was soon limited only to a northern front.
e. Because the resolution was an attempt at diplomacy, Johnson began to take steps to de-escalate the Vietnam War and had a certain number of atomic weapons destroyed.

Answer 1

The Tonkin Gulf resolution allowed Johnson to escalate military operations in Vietnam without needing specific congressional approval for each decision, greatly increasing the power of the president.

Step-by-step explanation:

The effect of the Tonkin Gulf resolution was that Johnson took the nearly unanimous approval as reason to use the resolution as a substitute for a declaration of war. This allowed him to escalate military operations in Vietnam without needing specific congressional approval for each decision. The resolution dramatically increased the power of the president and transformed the American role in Vietnam from advisor to combatant.