The text authors observe that President Johnson “did not want a formal

The text authors observe that President Johnson “did not want a formal declaration of war” against North Vietnam. Why not? What is the significance of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution as a “substitute” for a declaration of war?

What will be an ideal response?

ANSWER
Johnson did not want a declaration of war because he thought it would frighten the public unnecessarily and erode support for his domestic “Great Society” programs. With the open-ended Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, he could conduct war in Vietnam without Congressional interference. This was another building-block in constructing the “imperial presidency.”