Vietnam

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution increased the power of the executive branch by —

• allowing the president to use military force without a declaration of war by Congress

• authorizing the president to choose the Senate Majority Leader

• allowing the president to introduce bills to Congress

• expanding the president’s right to executive privilege

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• College “teach-ins”

• Burning draft cards

• Mass demonstrations

Which of the following is the best title for this list?

• Protests Against the Vietnam War

• Opposition to the Arms Race

• Support for Gender Equality

• Demands to Stop Dumping Chemical Waste

As part of the Nixon administration’s policy of Vietnamization, the U.S. military —

• trained South Vietnamese forces to take over combat responsibilities from U.S. troops

• shared military technology with North Vietnam

• imposed martial law in North Vietnam

• installed a puppet government in South Vietnam

Selected Features of the War Powers Resolution, 1973

• The president may only make use of armed forces following a declaration of war, authorization by Congress, or an attack on the United States.

• The president must consult with Congress regularly regarding the use of armed forces as long as troops remain in hostile situations.

• Within 60 days the president will end the use of armed forces unless Congress acts to approve continued military action.

How does this resolution demonstrate the principle of checks and balances?

• It expands the power of judicial review to military courts.

• It allows the executive to determine the length of military conflicts.

• It allows Congress to limit the military authority of the executive branch.

• It gives Congress oversight of military strategy and operations.

On January 22, 1964, the Joint Chiefs of Staff sent Secretary of Defense McNamara a memorandum that included the following recommendations:

• Assign responsibilities for the total U.S. program in Vietnam to the U.S. military commander

• Commit additional U.S. forces, as necessary, in support of the combat action within South Vietnam

• Commit U.S. forces, as necessary, in direct actions against North Vietnam

What happened as a direct result of these recommendations?

• North Vietnamese leaders appealed for a ceasefire.

• U.S military involvement in Vietnam escalated.

• South Vietnamese leaders rejected military assistance.

• Soviet ground troops were deployed to Vietnam.

What was the overall goal of U.S. military intervention in Vietnam from 1964–1973?

• Eliminating trade barriers between the United States and Southeast Asia

• Isolating the Soviet Union by improving Chinese relations with the United States

• Promoting economic growth in the Pacific region

• Preventing communism from spreading throughout Southeast Asia

Which of these best explains why worldwide reactions to U.S. involvement in Vietnam grew increasingly hostile during the late 1960s and early 1970s?

• The United States was viewed as appeasing a brutal dictator.

• The United States demanded the unconditional surrender of Ho Chi Minh.

• The United States was viewed as an aggressor invading an underdeveloped nation.

• The United States ignored a United Nations Security Council resolution to cease hostilities.

How did press coverage of events during the Vietnam War affect the United States?

• Film footage from the front lines increased congressional support for the war.

• Reporting on military setbacks contributed to public disillusionment with the war.

• Increased U.S. media presence overseas resulted in overwhelming international support for U.S. intervention.

• Live presidential press conferences led to a decline in partisan politics in Congress

What prompted Congress to pass the War Powers Resolution?

• Rulings issued by the Supreme Court that banned deployment of U.S. combat forces without a declaration of war

• Fears that renewed conflict in the Middle East would require the United States to defend Israel

• Decisions made by the executive branch during the Korean and Vietnam Wars

• Limits on the authority of the chief executive imposed by an international tribunal

In 1971, President Richard Nixon claimed executive privilege to prevent newspapers from publishing classified documents. He argued that release of the Pentagon Papers, which detailed U.S. involvement in Vietnam, threatened national security. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the newspapers.

Which of the following provided a legal basis for this Supreme Court decision?

• The Thirteenth Amendment

• The decision in Brown v. Board of Education

• The Civil Rights Act of 1964

• The First Amendment