A Crisis In Confidence
Nixon and the Cold War
Nixon Redefines Foreign Policy
In dealing with foreign affairs, Richard Nixon and Henry
Kissinger (Secretary of State) employed the idea of realpolitik.
The Nixon administration came up with a
new communismpolicy called détente.
Playing the China Card
China invited an American table-tennis team to
play against their athletes. This small action
demonstrated China’s willingness to talk.
In 1972 Richard Nixon became the first US President to
visit communist China. The visit was a great success.
and an important step towards normalizing diplomatic
relations with China.
Following the success in China, Soviet leader Leonid
Brezhnev invited Nixon to visit Moscow. SALT froze the deployment of intercontinental missiles (ICBMS), but it
did NOT stop the stockpiling of weapons.
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A Crisis In Confidence
Nixon & The Watergate Scandal
Nixon’s Policies Target Middle America
Nixon’s 1968 campaign for President, Nixon
became a spokesman for the Silent Majority.
Nixon’s programs dismantled federal programs and
gave more control to state and local governments.
Nixon’s program provided funds to state and local agencies, which was intended to
increase their power, but it actually led to a greater dependency on federal funds.
New Government Agencies created:
1.OccupationalSafety and HealthAdministration (OSHA)
2.Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
3.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency (EPA)
Nixon Follows A Southern Strategy
Nixon targeted blue-collar workers and southernwhites, both of whom traditionally voted for Democrats.
Nixon appealed to the southern states by:
1.Promising to appoint conservatives to the Supreme Court.
2.Nominating a vice president acceptable to the Democratic Party.
Historical Significance:Nixon was the 1st Republican to sweep the entire south.
Watergate Scandals Brings Down Nixon
- Nixon and his supporters had been overly concerned about his re-election and ended up involved in a scandal.
- Nixon’s supporters broke into the Democratic Nation Committee headquarters in the Watergate office complex to locate campaign information and install wiretaps on telephones.
- These supporters were caught and arrested. The Nixon administration tried to cover up any involvement to the break-in. Nixon denied any and all involvement.
- Case of the Tapes: Nixon had installed a tapingsystem in the White House to record all conversations.
- Investigators wanted these tapes; but Nixon refused and pleaded executive privilege.
- Supreme Court Case: US v. Nixon: Ruled that presidential power is not above the law and that it cannot be used to protect evidence that may be sued in a criminal trial.
- Nixon has to turn over the uneditedtapes.
- Nixon turns over tapes but crucial parts of conversations are missing.
- The House of Representatives to vote on impeachment. Support dwindled for Nixon and he would be impeached.
- Nixon decided to resign!!
Spiro Agnew resigned due to a scandal (taking bribes). Gerald Ford the
Republican leader of the House of Representatives became the new VP.
Historical Significance: The Watergate
scandal shook the public’s confidence in
the government, but also showed the
strength of the systems of checks and
balances.
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A Crisis In Confidence
Ford & Carter Years
Ford Faces Political & Economical Woes
Ford’s Presidency did not go well:
1.Ford issues a pardon of Nixon in an attempt to restore American faith in government.
2.Ford’s continuation of détente with the Helsinki Accords, turned many Americans against the policy.
Stagflation began during Nixon’s
presidency and continues with Ford’s.
3.Ford’s economic plan WhipInflationNow. WIN called for a reduced dependency on oil and an increased interest rate. This was a complete failure!
A Washington “Outsider”
Carter’s Domestic Policies Include:
Vietnam – Granted amnesty, or political pardons, to Americans who evaded the draft during the Vietnam War.
Stagflation – Increased government spending, cut taxes, raised interest rates. All things proved unsuccessful.
Energy Crisis – Asked Congress to create the Department of Energy. because of our dependence on foreign oil.
Rustbelt to Sunbelt
Political power begins shifting from the northeast to the southeast.
A Crisis In Confidence
Foreign Policy Troubles
Carter Changes Course
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to help out a failing communist government. Carter imposed sanctions, one of which was a boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympic Games held in Moscow.
Historical Significance:The Olympic games became a
platform for political lobbying.
Carter signed the Panama Canal Treaty and Neutrality Treaty promising to give control of the canal to the Panamanians by the year 1999.
Negotiations between Egypt and Israel took place over 12 days at Camp David. The peace treaty between the two nations had been difficult.
Most Arab nations opposed the treaty, but it marked the
firststep toward peace in the Middle East.
The Shah of Iran was dying of cancer and facing a rebellion at home, so he fled to the US to seek medical treatment.
AyatollahKhomini took power.
The US embassy in Iran was invaded and 66 Americans were held hostage. Carter’s last year of his presidency was centered on getting these hostages released, but he was unable to find success.
**Carter has done more since he has left the presidency then perhaps any other president. He has been a proponent for humanrights. Carter is also responsible for the creation of Habitat for Humanity.
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