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Richard M. Nixon. Hail to the Chief 37th President - 1969-1974 - Republican. President Richard M. Nixon. Election of 1968 Candidates: Republican- Nixon Democrat- Hubert Humphrey American Independent- Wallace Issues Vietnam Courts- criminal rights, prayer in school, school integration,
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Richard M. Nixon Hail to the Chief 37th President - 1969-1974 - Republican
President Richard M. Nixon • Election of 1968 • Candidates: • Republican- Nixon • Democrat- Hubert Humphrey • American Independent- Wallace • Issues • Vietnam • Courts- criminal rights, prayer in school, school integration, • Problems in Campaign • Death of Martin Luther King • Death of Robert F. Kennedy • Democratic Nat. Convention- Chicago • Yippies and “Pigasus’ • Outcome- Nixon wins close one.
Nixon Administration • Key Actions • Space- Moon landing • Winding down of the Vietnam War • Cambodian Incursian • Kent State • Détente • Visit to China and Ping Pong Diplomacy • Visit to Russia + S.A.L.T. • New Federalism • give states control and reduce Federal Government- deregulation
Troubled Economy • Inflation and Stagflation • Nixon Promised to balance the Budget ($200 Billion) and produce a surplus. • Tax Reform Act- 1969 ended the Johnson income tax surcharge. • Vietnam costs rising. • 1969-1970- Nixon proposed wage-price guidelines to slow down prices. • Congress created EPA. • Arab oil embargo caused oil prices to jump in 1973. • Baby boomers in job market- glut.
Troubled Economy • Aug. 15, 1971- Nixon announced a 90 price freeze after prices went up 14.5% (first mandatory wage-price control in peace time.) • Took the country off the gold standard. This would end the gold drain to foreign countries turning U.S. dollars in for U.S. gold. • 10% surcharge on foreign imports. Trying to promote sale of U.S. goods abroad and discourage Americans from buying foreign products- Japan + W. Germany. • The Economy began to thrive • Inflation fell to 3.5% • Unemployment dropped
Troubled Economy • Winding down the Vietnam War- Costs • Economic Costs • The war cost the United States more than $140 billion. • In Vietnam, the last sustained war the nation fought, the United States spent $111 billion during the eight years of the war, from 1964 to 1972. Adjusted for inflation, that's more than $494 billion, an average of $61.8 billion per year, or $5.15 billion per month. (The Pentagon is spending nearly $5 billion per month in Iraq and Afghanistan, a pace that would bring yearly costs to almost $60 billion) • Human Costs: • There were 540,000 American troops in Vietnam sent by Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, more than 325 men being held prisoners of war, and America was sharply divided over our purpose and our presence in Vietnam. • The war left 58,000 American soldiers dead and more than 300,000 wounded. Numerous American soldiers also returned home with crippling and long-lasting psychological wounds.
Troubled Economy • Voyage to the Moon- Apollo 11 • Televised- Hundreds of millions of viewers • 3 Astronauts- Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins. • Lunar Module- the “Eagle” • The Eagle has landed on Tranquility base. July 20, 1969 • 6 and 1/2 hours on the Moon. • Costs- three astronauts killed in a fire on earth and between $25-$35 Billion dollars. • Benefits- Priceless
Watergate • Pentagon Papers , Leaks and the Plumbers • Political Spying and Dirty Tricks • Break in at the Democratic National Headquarters. • Cover-up • Saturday Night Massacre • Investigation • Special Prosecutors • Tapes • Impeachment • Resignation- “I am not a crook.”
