Following the "Mail Hawks": Alternative Measures of Public Opinion on Vietnam in the Johnson White House

Scholars argue that public opinion grew in importance during the Vietnam conflict, yet most find President Johnson was not responsive to public opinion during the War. We amplify these theories by demonstrating the practical value of public opinion mail sent to the White House on Vietnam, reshaping theories about the constraining role of public opinion in foreign policy. We find that the White House mail, but not opinion polling, favoring escalation of the War had a significant and positive impact on President Johnson's policy rhetoric. From these and similar findings, we conclude that the Johnson Administration followed core “hawkish” political allies (those individuals desiring a rapid escalation and quick end to the war) rather than those approving of a withdrawal, suggesting mail-gauged opinion from electoral partners (and core political allies more broadly) has value in foreign policy making.