The correct answer to the question is the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
1. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was a joint resolution passed by the U.S. Congress in 1964 in response to two alleged attacks on U.S. naval vessels by North Vietnamese forces in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War.
2. This resolution granted the American president, at that time Lyndon B. Johnson, the authority to take military action in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war from Congress. It essentially gave the president broader powers to conduct military operations in Southeast Asia.
3. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution is significant because it marked a pivotal moment in U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, as it escalated American military engagement without the need for Congress to declare war.
4. It is important to note that the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution has been criticized for its broad language and the way it expanded presidential power in matters of war without clear limitations, leading to prolonged and controversial military actions during the Vietnam War.
