Nixon, Ford & Carter

1. Nixon, Ford & Carter The 1970s

2. The Nixon Administration • Nixon sought to turn US on conservative path with New Conservatism • New Federalism • Nixon felt federal govt. became too strong under LBJ, wanted to return some power back to the states • To accomplish this, Nixon advocated Revenue Sharing • State govt’swould be allowed to spend federal tax dollars as they wished

4. The Nixon Administration • Nixon expanded funding for some social programs, such as Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid • However, Nixon attempted to cut the Job Corps & Office of Economic Opportunity, both social assistance to impoverished Americans • Nixon also tried to reform welfare with the Family Assistance Plan, but was attacked by both conservatives & liberals for being too tough/weak • Nixon used impoundment to withhold funding for programs didn’t like

5. The Nixon Administration • Nixon also sought to return law & order to American society for the great, Silent Majority • Abused presidential powers to watch political enemies • Plumbers placed wiretaps on liberals & Democratic Nat’l HQ at the Watergate Building • CIA compiled information on political dissidents • IRS investigated civil rights leaders • VP Spiro Agnew went after political rivals & media

7. The Nixon Administration • The ‘68 election was close & Nixon was always worried about losing • Nixon wanted to make inroads with the conservative South • Their dissatisfaction with Democratic Party was illustrated by George Wallace in ‘68 election • Launched Southern Strategy • Dept. of HEW told to delay integration in Southern schools • Opposed extending Voting Rights Act of 1965 • Promised to nominate Southerner to Supreme Court

8. The Nixon Administration • Nixon also appointed conservative, Southern justices to Supreme Court • Warren Burger, MN (Chief Justice) • Harry Blackman, MN (vote Roe v. Wade) • Lewis Powell, Jr. , VA • William Rehnquist, VA • However, Nixon would be quickly disappointed by his Supreme Court • Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education 1971 • Districts may bus students to prevent all-white or all-black schools

10. US Economy • US economy tanked at end of 1960s & beginning of 1970s becauseof Stagflation • High unemployment • Boomers entered workforce, flood US job market • High inflation • LBJ used significant deficit spending to pay for Great Society & Vietnam War • Fiat currency, the dollar no longer affixed to gold, but affixed to economy’s success instead • Since economy is decreasing, the dollar is devaluing

11. US Economy • Driving force behind struggling US economy was dependence on foreign oil • US received most of its petroleum from OPEC • During 1960s, OPEC gradually raised oil prices—makes cost of US goods inflate • 1973, US backed Israel when attacked by Syria & Egypt during Yom Kippur War • Arab OPEC nations cut supply to US, when they resumed supply in 1974, prices were 4x higher

12. The Nixon Administration • Nixon was a foreign policy president that dealt with more than the Vietnam War • Henry Kissinger encouraged Nixon to take a new approach to foreign affairs • Persuaded Nixon to abandon containment, massive retaliation & flexible response for a policy of Realpolitik • Illogical to ignore powerful countries based on ideology • Need to acknowledge powerful countries, even Communist ones, and build relationships withthem

13. The Nixon Administration • Nixon used Détente policy to build relationships w/ Communist China & USSR • US prepared to negotiate & be flexible w/ Communist countries • Nixon visits China, winter 1972 • Won’t compete to control Pacific, will settle disputes cooperatively, including situation w/ Taiwan • Nixon visits USSR, spring 1972 • SALT I Treaty, limits number of ICBMs for 5 yrs

15. Watergate • 1971 Nixon sought to stop leaks after Pentagon Papers released • H.R. Haldeman, Nixon’s chief of staff, formed the Plumbers to harass Dan Ellsberg • Charles Colson (Nixon counsel) • G. Gordon Liddy (FBI) • E. Howard Hunt (CIA) • 1972 CREEP, headed by Nixon’s former Attorney General John Mitchell and Jeb Magruder, formed to reelect Nixon • Mitchell approved plan to break-in to DNC HQ

17. Watergate • June 17, 1972, James McCord, security head for CREEP, Liddy & Hunt arrested for breaking-in to DNC HQ (twice) • CREEP sought Democrat’s election strategy & if they had dirt on Nixon • Nixon ordered cover-up • Burglars bribed for silence ($500k) • Incriminating documents shredded • CIA ordered to halt FBI’s investigation—J. Edgar Hoover, dead • Sept. 1972, McCord, Liddy & Hunt scheduled for trial in federal court withJudge John Sirica following the election

18. Watergate • Before trial of burglars, Watergate is overshadowed by Vietnam • However, Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein of Washington Post kept on case • Published secret info from upset FBI informant W. Mark Felt • January 1973, Sirica found McCord, Hunt, & Liddy guilty • Judge threatened tough sentences because he thinks there is more than just a “petty burglary”

19. Watergate • April 1973, Nixon “accepted resignations” of John Dean III (pres. lawyer), H.R. Haldeman, John Ehrlichman (dom. adv.), new AG Richard Kleindienst • Went on TV, announced new AG Elliot Richardson who will appoint special investigator, Archibald Cox • McCord accused Dean, Mitchell, and Magruder of knowing about/ordering the break-in • June 1973, Senate began grilling “all the president’s men”

20. Watergate • Senator Howard Baker asked, “What did the president know & when did he know it?” • John Dean informed that Nixon abused FBI & CIA, placed wiretaps, ordered the cover-up & offered hush money • July 1973, pres. aid. Alexander Butterfield revealed Nixon recorded ALL of his presidential conversations • Nixon wanted to be able to write memoirs after presidency (idiot)

22. Watergate • Fall of 1973, things are ugly for Nixon • Nixon refused to turn over Nixon Tapes to Cox, Sirica & Senate Irvin Committee citing executive privilege • Saturday Night Massacre • Nixon wants Cox fired, but AG Richardson & Deputy AG William Ruckelshaus resign instead • Finally, Solicitor General, Robert Bork, fires Cox & hires replacement Leon Jaworski • VP Agnew forced to resign due to bribery, Speaker of the House Gerald Ford appointed VP • Nixon also in trouble for mistakes on taxes

24. Watergate • Remainder of Watergate centered around Nixon’s tapes • October 1973-July 1974, Leon Jaworski pressed Nixon to release the tapes • Spring of 1974, Nixon released edited tapes for “profanity”, edited parts sometimes spanned 18 minutes • March 1974, president’s aids indicted on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury • July 1974, Jaworski took Nixon to Supreme Court, upon appeal of Sirica’s ruling, to release the tapes

25. Watergate • US v. Nixon 1974 • Nixon argued he has Executive Privilege to keep tapes secret due to threat of national security • And, executive branch has right to determine privileged info, not judiciary • Supreme Court ruled Nixon must surrender tapes • President has right to executive privilege, but judiciary has right to review info to determine threats of national security • Marbury v. Madison 1803 • Established judicial review

26. Watergate • Nixon released the tapes on August 5, 1974, but US House Judiciary Committee voted to impeach • Nixon resigned August 8, 1974, just before the full House of Representatives voted on impeaching president • Nixon was never impeached, but is only president to resign office • Andrew Johnson & Bill Clinton impeached on partisan grounds • Johnson, Republicans thought he wasn’t doing enough after Civil War • Clinton perjured himself about a sex scandal

28. Gerald Ford • Started out rough from beginning, pardoned Richard Nixon • Americans quickly realized he’s a Ford, not a Lincoln • Ford because the butt of many jokes, partly because he’s a klutz, mostly because Watergate cost the presidency its prestige • Plan to beat inflation, Whip Inflation Now, didn’t have incentives to work • Americans, as it turns out, became lazy & selfish by the 1970s

31. Gerald Ford • Ford continued on with Nixon’s foreign policy • Helsinki Accords • East & West agreed to diplomacy in Europe, but didn’t stop Mutual Assured Destruction • Vietnam fell in 1975 after fighting reignited in 1973, but Congress denied more funding • Cambodian pirates seized Mayaguez in Gulf of Siam, Ford used great show of military force to rescue 39 sailors • Lost 41 American soldiers

32. Jimmy Carter • 1976 Presidential Election • Ford held off Ronald Reagan for GOP nomination, Jimmy Carter won Democratic nomination • Jimmy Carter, peanut farmer & governor of GA, was Washington outsider • Honest & plain-spoken, won a narrow victory • US ready for down-to-earth president • Carter elected due to being an “outsider”, but refusing to play political games cost him

34. Jimmy Carter • Refused to pass out spoils to congressional Democrats & relied heavily upon himself & political advisors from GA • Beyond secluding himself politically, he was overwhelmed by trying to do everything himself • Nothing of substance accomplished • Became butt of SNL, too • Often addressed nation by fireside in a sweater, discussed energy & economy • Called it a moral equivalent to war, Americans must work with one another to achieve goals • Energy being Carter’s biggest issue, sent 100s of proposals for energy conservation & development to Congress

36. Jimmy Carter • Beaten back by auto & oil lobbies • National Energy Act, placed tax on gas-guzzlers, de-regulated US oil & natural gas industries, and gave tax credits for development of alternative energies • Jimmy Carter wasn’t very popular with Americans as inflation hit double digits & economy worsens during his presidency • US no longer a major producer, goods manufactured cheaper overseas

37. Jimmy Carter • Many excluded from job market due to lack of education/training • US standard of living falls from #1 to #5 • “Malaise” or “Crisis of Confidence” speech caused many to believe he gave up, especially amongst self-centered Americans • Regents of University of California v. Bakke 1978 • Allan Bakke sued UC-Davis because he wasn’t admitted to medical school • 16 spots out of 100 reserved for minorities, UC-Davis’ Affirmative Action plan • Bakke’s scores & grades were quite competitive • Ruling: Quotas were prohibited

38. Jimmy Carter • Carter was focused on human rights—similar to Woodrow Wilson—Carter abandoned détente • No longer dealing with countries based on power, deals with countries based on protection of human rights • SALT II not signed because USSR invaded Afghanistan in 1979 • Carter releases “Carter Doctrine” • US returns Panama Canal because it’s right thing to do

39. Jimmy Carter • US heavily focused on Middle East during ’70s, mostly because of oil prices • Constant conflict between Muslims & Palestinians with Israel devastating US economy • Camp David Accords, 1978 • Carter met withEgypt’s Anwar Sadat & Israel’s Menachem Begin • Egypt gets Sinai Peninsula, lost in Six Day War in 1967, returned • Egypt recognizes Israel’s right to exist as a country

41. Jimmy Carter • US became hyper-focused on Iran beginning in 1979 • 1953, US CIA orchestrated plan to put Reza Shah Pahlavi in control of Iran, agreed to provide US with favorable oil prices • January 1979, Iranians upset with his tyranny, overthrew him under leadership of religious leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini • Overthrow is known as Iranian Revolution, many wanted to rid country of western ways • Iranian Hostage Crisis, November 1979-Janaury 1981

43. Jimmy Carter • Revolutionaries disliked Carter letting Pahlavi into US for cancer treatment when mortally ill • Jimmy Carter • Iranian college students overrun US embassy in Tehran, take 52 US citizens—after releasing Blacks & women—hostage for 444 day • Iranians demanded: • Shah be returned to Iran • Return the money he “stashed” in US • Apologize to Iran

44. Jimmy Carter • April 1980, Carter launched rescue plan that failed miserably • Elaborate plan: helicopters, refueling cargo planes, & secretly secured trucks to meet up in deserted Iranian desert • Sandstorm & failed hydraulics crippled three helicopters, one crashed into cargo plane w/ fuel & exploded • In all, 8 soldiers killed • Hostages wouldn’t be released until Reagan sworn in & Iraq invaded Iran

46. The Middle East • Cradle of Civilization • Earliest of civilizations began around Nile, Euphrates & Tigris rivers • Fertile Crescent • Mesopotamia • Region between & immediately surrounding Euphrates & Tigris rivers • Area constantly subject to tribal conflict

47. The Middle East • Ottoman Empire • One of the most influential Muslim civilizations in history, began in 13th century • Ended Byzantium Empire by conquering Constantinople (15th century) renaming itIstanbul • Continued to expand into Europe • Empire begins to decline at end of 19th century withcolonization of Africa

48. The Middle East • Following Battle of Gallipoli, spring 1915, British & French secretly agree to carve up Ottoman Empire after WWI • Sykes-Picot Agreement, 1916 • Palestine to be made international zone due to its importance to many major religions • Temple on the Mount (Jews) • Site of King Solomon’s Temple • Location of the Ark of the Covenant

50. The Middle East • Wailing Wall (Jews) • Last remnants of Second Temple, Jesus preached here • Dome of the Rock (Jews & Muslims) • Mohammad ascended to Heaven • Abraham attempted to sacrifice Isaac/Ishmael • Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Christians) • Built by Constantine, place where Jesus was crucified, buried & resurrected