1970s President Richard Nixon Elected 1968 & 1972 President Gerald Ford Never elected, he took the place of Nixon when Nixon resigned President Jimmy Carter elected in 1976 and defeated during re-election by Ronald Reagan in 1980
Richard M. Nixon His plans were to undo the policies of LBJ New Federalism: A plan to give revenue (Federal Money) to state and local governments with the intent that they can use it as they choose Family Assistance plan: Nixon s plan for welfare. It was attacked for not doing enough Southern Stategy: To block the implementation of Brown v Board so he could get white support for his other goals
Stagflation When high unemployment and inflation both rise at the same time! Causes: The cost of Vietnam war funding, Great Society Programs, Dependency on foreign oil OPEC: The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (They cut off supply to the US due to our support of Israel.) An Oil Embargo
Nixon s Foreign Policy Henry Kissinger was Nixon s top foreign aide and FP architect Realpolitik: A foreign policy of strength. Ignoring weaker nations Detente: Easing the tensions of the COLD WAR. China: Restarting relations for first time since 1949 - Nixon visited in 1972. Russia: 1st president to visit USSR. Signed SALT 1 TREATY limiting the # of nuclear missiles for 5 years.
Nixon Watergate Nixon s staff attempted to burglarize and wiretap the DNC (Democratic Party Headquarter) at the Watergate complex in Washington D.C. CRP - The Committee to Reelect the President: led by former Nixon staff members. All were paid to keep quite after they were caught. Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncovered the story Nixon had taped all conversations with staff members Vice President Spriro Agnew resigned after taking bribes, Gerald Ford, House minority leader, was appointed as Vice-President. Nixon resigned hours before a vote of impeachment took place saying, I am not a crook.
Watergate in Pictures
Gerald R. Ford Our Long Nightmare Is Now Over Pres. Ford granted Pres. Nixon a full PARDON. I m a Ford, not a Lincoln. - while VP WIN: Whip Inflation Now The Helsinki Accords: Ford got 35 nations to agree to better relations between EAST and WEST.
Jimmy Carter As to the 1976 election said one Democrat, We could run an aardvark and win! A Domestic Policy Look To combat the energy crisis, the National Energy Act was passed. It taxed gas guzzling cars and removed price controls and gave tax credits to alternative energy development Appointed civil rights leader Andrew Young as Ambassador to the UN Regents of The University of California v Bakke: The Supreme Court struck down affirmative action.
Carter Foreign Policy Latin America:1977 Signed treaty with Panama to give them back the canal by the end of 1999. USSR: 1979 SALT II treaty limited the number of missile launchers. The treaty died when the USSR invaded Afghanistan 6 mo later. Camp David Accords: Carter brokered peace between Israel and Egypt. The first Arab treaty for Israel. IRAN HOSTAGE CRISIS: 1979, Iran captured 52 US citizens and held them hostage for 444 days after Carter allowed the former Shah of Iran to get cancer treatment in the US.
1970s Environmentalism Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, warning of the use of pesticides. 1972 the US outlaws DDT 1970, April 22, was designated as EARTH DAY 1970: EPA Environmental Protection Agency was created to control pollution 1979: Three Mile Island nuclear reactor (Pennsylvania) overheated releasing radiation.
Past Presidents JFK- Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson- Democrat Richard Nixon- Republican Gerald R. Ford- Republican James Carter- Democrat Ronald Reagan- Republican George H.W. Bush- Republican Bill Clinton- Democrat George W. Bush- Republican Barack Obama- Democrat
1980s The Age of Conservatism Ronald Reagan elected President in 1980 and 1988 Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem. -Reagan The New Right: started in the 1970s, fought school busing, the ERA, and affirmative action. It also wanted prayer back in school Conservative Coalition: Business leaders, middle class voter, and Christians came together to form a powerful group Moral Majority: Christian evangelist such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson led a revival of Fundamentalism. Jerry Falwell founded the Moral Majority. Conservative Goals: Shrink government, strengthen family values, reduce taxes and spending, and increase national defense.
Reaganomics 1. Budget Cuts 2.Tax Cuts 3. Increase Defense (military) Spending Budget Cuts: Cut 10% from welfare programs such as urban mass transit, food stamps, job training, Medicaid, school lunches, and student loans. Tax Cuts: Also called Supply-Side economics. Less taxes means more disposable income to spend. Reagan cut taxes 25% over three years. Defense Spending: in 3 years the defense department budget almost doubled. Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) also called Star Wars Trickle-Down Economics: Reagan believed tax cuts meant money would trickle down to the middle class and poor. IT DID NOT WORK
Judicial Power Rises Conservative Appointments to the Supreme Court Reagan nominated the First woman to the Supreme court-sandra Day O Connor Reagan also nominated Antonin Scalia and Anthony M. Kennedy to the Supreme Court Reagan nominated Justice William Rehnquist to the position of Chief Justice President Bush would also later nominate Clarence Thomas to take the place of Thurgood Marshall
Deregulation An Attempt to shrink the size of Government The cutting back or getting rid of Federal Government regulations of Industry Removed controls on oil and eliminated safety inspections on nursing homes Deregulated the Airline industry cutting unprofitable routes Cut the budget of the EPA Environmental Agency! WHAT! Positives of deregulation were it spurred on more competition and lowered prices
Reagan Supporters Business people- wanted to deregulate the economy Southerners- welcomed the limits on federal power Westerns- resented federal controls on mining and grazing Reagan Democrats- agreed with Reagan on limiting federal government and thought that the Democrats Party had drifted too far to the left By 1984, the economy was strong due to reducing deficit spending.
1988 Election George H.W. Bush- running off of Reagan s Legacy Most people were economically comfortable. WHY CHANGE? Read my lips: no new taxes Landslide- 426 electoral votes
80s Social Concerns AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: At first transmitted by Homosexuals and Intravenous drug users then it spread to others. It was an EPIDEMIC. Abortion: In 1989-Webster v Reproductive Healthcare Services, the Supreme Court stated states could impose new restrictions. Illegal Drugs: Nancy Reagan, Just say no! Education: promote better eduction: longer school year, merit pay, more homwork, and longer school day. Urban: Rodney King beating by 4 white officers in 1992 in Los Angeles. All were found not guilty. Riots ensued for 5 days-53 dead!
Equal Rights Struggle ERA- Equal Rights Amendment- 1972 passed by Congress but didn t pass ratification by 38 states in 1982 Pay equality- $1.00 Men $.75 Women AA- more to political office but suffered economic gains Latino- fast and getting political P NA- limited aid by Reagan, start of casinos to get revenue Gay Rights- setbacks due to AIDS in early 1980s but gained surged to eliminate anti-gay discrimination
Foreign Policy The transition out of the Cold War 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev became the head of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union 1987 Reagan stated, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! Glasnost: Open criticism of the the Soviet government Perestroika: Restructuring of the Soviet government (less control) INF Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty: eliminated two classes of weapons START II pact: decreased nuclear arsenals by 2/3
Fall of The Soviet Berlin Wall falls in 1989- West and Germany is united 1991-14 republics declared independence from SU Civil War erupts in Baltics and Balkans states 1991-Gorbackev resigned Beaten by US (deficit spending/ Spending more than Soviet Union) Not Force Union
Tiananmen Square 1989 1980s- China loosens grip on economic reform before SU. Eliminate price control Students began to demand freedom of speech and voice in govt. Tiananmen Square in Beijing Tank Man China Military=Slaughtered unarmed students= Democratic countries watching on TV
Central America and Caribbean Policy Nicaragua- Grenada- Panama-
Foreign Policy Iran-Contra Affair: Reagan approved the sale of arms to Iran to send money to the Contras in Nicaragua Operation Desert Storm: 1990-Saddam Hussein, the dictator of Iraq invaded Kuwait. THE ENEMY OF OUR ENEMY (IRAN) IS OUR FRIEND! 1991 The US and its allies liberated Kuwait.
Iran-Contra Scandal
The Persian Gulf War Iran v. Iraq leaves Saddam Hussein with war debt 1990 Saddam invades Kuwait for oil fields= threatens US oil supply 1991- Operation Desert Storm 100 hour war Americans feel good about victory 400, 000 casualties, 100,000 Iraqi fatalities
Bush s Domestic Policies Rising deficits spending Recession in 1990-1992 Raised Taxes- broke promise Approval rating dropped to 49%