Chapter 30Chapter 30

Power and Politics Since 1974

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Caretaker Presidency of Gerald FordCaretaker Presidency of Gerald Ford Domestic Policy

Appointed Nelson Rockefeller as his vice president Pardoned Richard Nixon Whip Inflation Now (WIN) campaign Battled with Congress over economic program

Foreign Policy South Vietnam collapsed, April 1975 Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia, April 1975 Mayaguez incident, May 1975

Election of 1976 Ford challenged for Republican nomination by Ronald

Reagan Democrats nominated Jimmy Carter

Promised to give government back to the people Won a narrow victory

Jimmy Carter’s One-Term PresidencyJimmy Carter’s One-Term Presidency Welfare initiatives

Requested additional cash assistance and more jobs for the needy

Failed to win congressional approval

Energy initiatives Ambitious energy program, pursued unilaterally

Decrease reliance on foreign oil and natural gas Expand domestic energy production Discourage gasoline use through new taxes Encourage energy-saving measures to foster

conservatism Promote non-Petroleum energy sources

Congress rejected

Carter’s One-Term Presidency Carter’s One-Term Presidency (cont)

Economic initiatives Ambitious economic agenda

Lower unemployment and inflation Stimulate greater economic growth Balance federal budget

Failed to accomplish any of his goals Economic crisis affected cities and urban areas as well

Carter’s One-Term Presidency Carter’s One-Term Presidency (cont)

Amnesty for Vietnam War draft-resisters Panama Canal treaties Camp David peace accords Concern for human rights

Best known feature of Carter’s foreign policy Helped trigger trend of democratization in 1980s and 1990s Immediate impact was ambiguous

Crisis in Iran, November 1979 Hostage situation at U.S. embassy in Tehran Despite constant attention, Carter unable to resolve the

situation

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, December 1979 Series of ineffectual, non-military responses

Carter’s One-Term Presidency Carter’s One-Term Presidency (cont)

Election of 1980 Edward Kennedy tried to challenge Carter for Democratic

nomination

Republicans ran Ronald Reagan Opposition to domestic programs Stronger national defense Seized on economy, traditionally a Democratic issue Won with just over 50 percent of vote

The New RightThe New Right Neo-Conservatives and new conservative

institutions American Enterprise Institute Heritage Foundation Committee on the Present Danger

The New Religious Right Fundamentalist and evangelical support

The Conservative political agenda National Conservative Political Action Committee (NCPAC) Conservative caucus Committee for the Survival of a Free Congress Moral Majority

The New Religious Right and the media Cable television reached huge, receptive audiences

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Presidential Election, 1980

A “New Morning in America”A “New Morning in America”

Pursuing supply-side economics Tax reduction plan, 1981 Period of non-inflationary growth, 1982–1986 Unemployment remained high

High government spending resulted in huge federal deficits

Reaganomics 30% tax cut Economy entered period of growth Brought prosperity to many, growing distress to others

A “New Morning in America” A “New Morning in America” (cont)

General anti-union policy Air traffic controllers, 1981

Appointment of conservatives at all levels Judges and justices Non-judicial appointments

Eliminated and reduced some social welfare programs Comprehensive Employment and Training Act Food Stamps

Environmental issues James Watt

Reagan wildly popular Democrats ran Walter Mondale

Geraldine Ferraro Expansion of social welfare programs Higher taxes to pay for expanded programs

Reagan won landslide victory in 1984

A “New Morning in America” A “New Morning in America” (cont)

A “New Morning in America” A “New Morning in America” (cont)

Reagan’s Second Term Supreme Court

Appointments of William Rehnquist and Antonin Scalia Defeat of Robert Bork

Charges of corruption and mismanagement Savings and loan crisis

Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act of 1985 Mandated balanced federal budget by 1991 Family Support Act of 1988

Mandated training programs for welfare recipients and eventual purging of welfare rolls

Renewing the Cold WarRenewing the Cold War

Defensive Buildup Dramatic increase in defense spending Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) or Star Wars

International offensive Funded various conservative groups abroad Radio Marti to Cuba

CIA activities Aid to anti-Communist forces in Afghanistan Funding for contras in Nicaragua

General funding for opposition movements in countries aligned with the Soviet Union

Willingness to use U.S. Military power Lebanon, 1982 Grenada, 1983

Renewing the Cold WarRenewing the Cold War (cont)

Iran–Contra Affair U.S. aid for contras blocked by Democratic-controlled

Congress in 1984 Circumvent by having wealthy conservatives and other

countries provide aid Against backdrop of violence and kidnappings of

Americans and other Westerners in Middle East Administration sold arms to Iran in exchange for

help in winning release of captives Flew in face of stated policy of not rewarding captors Funneled profits to contras as way of getting around

congressional ban Caused public outcry Investigators unable to paint as serious crisis

Renewing the Cold WarRenewing the Cold War (cont)

Thaw in U.S.–Soviet relations after 1985 Role of Mikhail Gorbachev

“Glasnost” and “perestroika” Loosened Moscow’s grip on Soviet Empire

Reykjavik Summit, October 1986 Reagan plan for wholesale ban on nuclear weapons

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Collapse of the Soviet Bloc

First Bush Presidency (1989–1993)First Bush Presidency (1989–1993)

Election of 1988 Republicans nominated Bush, Reagan’s vice-president Democrats nominated Michael Dukakis

Pledged to bring competence and honesty to the White House

Avoided talk of taxes and new domestic programs Featured much negative campaigning Bush won, but margin of victory not as large as originally

believed

First Bush Presidency First Bush Presidency (cont)

End of Cold War Began in Poland in 1989 One by one, nations of Eastern Europe overthrew their

Communist governments Provinces that comprised the Soviet Union also

declared independence Global economy

Administration pushed for economic liberalization Redefinition of “national security”

Help to bring democracy to Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala

Overthrow of Manuel Noriega in Panama, December 1989

First Bush Presidency First Bush Presidency (cont)

Persian Gulf War Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, August 1990 Operation “Desert Shield” UN action against Iraq Launched military offensive in January 1991

Stopped short of removing Saddam Hussein, something the UN had not authorized

Temporarily boosted Bush’s popularity North American Free Trade Association Administration not very successful in setting post-Cold

War diplomatic goals Mixed foreign policy legacy

First Bush PresidencyFirst Bush Presidency (cont)

Election of 1992 Bush lacked vision of either domestic or foreign policy Conservative activists dominated 1992 Republican

Convention Didn’t appeal to democrats who had supported Reagan

H. Ross Perot Funded a third-party candidacy Hurt Bush re-election

Democrats ran Bill Clinton Focused on economic issues Won by comfortable margin

Movement ActivismMovement Activism Old ideas of domesticity clashed with realities

women found themselves in Backyard revolution

Gender issues Came to pervade civil rights and antiwar movements

National Organization of Women Women often found traditional sexism among male leaders

“Consciousness raising” sessions during 1970s Intertwining of political and personal power issues

Women’s movement became highly diverse Pursued variety of goals Utilized variety of strategies

Movement ActivismMovement Activism (cont)

Sexual harassment Tailhook

Clarence Thomas nominated to Supreme Court Flash point for concerns about sexism in African-

American community and about general racism in American society

Gender/sexuality debates divided over issues involving gays and lesbians

Stonewall Inn, 1969 Turning point for gay rights movement

AIDS crisis Medical and political issue Early research was insignificant

Race, Ethnicity, and Social ActivismRace, Ethnicity, and Social Activism

Civil rights and black power struggles had fostered strong sense of cultural identity Stressed pride in African-American heritage

Henry Lewis Gates

Racial profiling in legal system Retention of Confederate flag by some Southern

states and institutions Congressional Black Caucus established 1970

Race, Ethnicity, and Social Activism Race, Ethnicity, and Social Activism (cont)

American Indian Movement Occupation of Alcatraz, 1969 Pine Ridge confrontation, 1973

Indian Bill of Rights, 1968 Native American Rights Fund

Pushed claims stemming from old treaties Fishing and agricultural rights Protection for religious ceremonies Return of skeletal remains held/displayed by museums

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 1990 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, 1988

Race, Ethnicity, and Social Activism Race, Ethnicity, and Social Activism (cont)

Spanish speakers are nation’s fast-growing ethnic group

Different opinions over labels “Hispanic” / “Latino” / “Chicano”

Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund

Communities Organized for Public Service (COPS) United Neighborhood Organization in Los Angeles National Network of Hispanic Women Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund

Race, Ethnicity, and Social Activism Race, Ethnicity, and Social Activism (cont)

Pan-Asian movement of immigrants of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Filipino backgrounds Asian Pacific Planning Council Asian Law Caucus Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence National Asian Pacific American Network Council

Broad approach did raise some questions of inclusion and exclusion Filipino and Hmong immigrants especially independent

about pursuing their own agenda

Race, Ethnicity, and Social Activism Race, Ethnicity, and Social Activism (cont)

Idea of “affirmative action” So that groups that had historically experienced

discrimination could begin to share in benefits Jobs, public spending, educational programs

Representative number of people from different groups had to have access, not just a few individuals

Group identity was most important Aroused ire of Republicans and conservatives in general

Considered it a dangerous form of interest-group politics Smacked of racist quotas Asserted that it would lead to “reverse discrimination”

California’s Proposition 209, 1996

Discussion QuestionsDiscussion Questions What were the achievements and failures of

Carter’s presidency? Why is Reagan’s presidency so controversial to

party partisans? What were his greatest triumphs? His greatest disappointments?

Examine the administration of George W. Bush. What are his most noteworthy accomplishments? What are his greatest failures?

How has the role of Native Americans in American society changed in recent times? Site movements and laws that were part of these changes.