Why did the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the War Powers Act likely cause the relationship between the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government to become strained?
A.
It expanded the powers of the executive branch.
B.
It took away the legislative branch’s ability to check the president’s actions.
C.
It made the executive branch unwilling to give Congress a role in the president’s decisions as commander-in-chief.
D.
It made the legislative branch take steps to prevent the president from retaining the role of commander-in-chief.
E.
It forced both branches to ask the judicial branch to step in and determine the constitutionality of their actions.
B. It took away the legislative branch's ability to check the president's actions. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and War Powers Act gave the president more power to take military action without the need for Congressional approval, which weakened the legislative branch's ability to check the president's actions and potentially strained the relationship between the two branches.
The correct answer is C. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the War Powers Act likely caused the relationship between the executive and legislative branches to become strained because it made the executive branch unwilling to give Congress a role in the president's decisions as commander-in-chief.
To arrive at this answer, let's break down the options:
Option A: It expanded the powers of the executive branch.
This option is incorrect because, while the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the War Powers Act did grant additional powers to the executive branch, it didn't necessarily strain the relationship between the branches. It does not explain why the relationship would become strained.
Option B: It took away the legislative branch's ability to check the president's actions.
This option is incorrect because the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the War Powers Act did not take away the legislative branch's ability to check the president's actions. In fact, the War Powers Act was specifically designed to limit the president's power by requiring congressional approval for military actions.
Option C: It made the executive branch unwilling to give Congress a role in the president's decisions as commander-in-chief.
This option is correct. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the War Powers Act gave the president expanded authority to use military force without explicit congressional approval. This led to a perception that the executive branch was disregarding the legislative branch's role in the decision-making process, straining their relationship.
Option D: It made the legislative branch take steps to prevent the president from retaining the role of commander-in-chief.
This option is incorrect because the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the War Powers Act did not seek to prevent the president from retaining the role of commander-in-chief. Instead, it aimed to establish checks and balances on the president's power.
Option E: It forced both branches to ask the judicial branch to step in and determine the constitutionality of their actions.
This option is incorrect because the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the War Powers Act did not directly force both branches to seek judicial intervention. The strain in the relationship was primarily focused on the executive and legislative branches.