Goal 12

The U.S. Since Vietnam

1973-Present

Mixin’ with Nixon

Understanding the Presidency of Richard M. Nixon

Richard Milhous Nixon

37th President

•1968- 1974

•Former Vice Pres

•Republican

•“Law and Order”

•Resign 1974

Richard Milhous Nixon

• Elected 1968- – After the Democratic Disaster

• RFK killed- June 1968• Dem. Convention Chicago = Violence, Unrest • Dem. split H. Humphrey and E. McCarthy

– Wallace (Independent) takes votes away

• Law and Order

• Secret Plan to End Vietnam?

Nixon Issues?

• Anti-social

• Mean

• Vindictive

• Chip on his shoulder

• Not well liked

• Experienced

• Loyal• Similar to Bush Jr.??

• Preferred advice from ‘his staff’ not Cabinet

• Staff loyal to Him– Not Constitution or USA– H. R. Haldeman - Chief– J. Ehrlichman- Attorney– J Mitchell- Attorney Gen.– H. Kissinger- NSA, State

• Kept him isolated– Only hear good…– “Berlin Wall”

Nixon (1968-1974)• At Home

– Spending on Vietnam war– Southern Democracy-gain southern democrats

support– “New Federalism”

• Decrease federal size and gov’t role in states business by giving $ and letting states decide and provide social help

– Oil Crisis• OPEC- imposed embargo on oil to U.S. to punish

them from supporting Israel in war in Middle East

• High prices cause people to stop buying resulting in a recession

Slow Inflation (Nixon Domestic)

• Inflation- is when the cost of most goods increases faster than average wages do

• Deficit Spending

• Wage and Price Freezes- Voluntary

• OPEC Embargo Sent Inflation Up• Embargo was retaliation for US involvement in Mideast

conflict… leads to… ??

– Gas .25 to .65; Unemployment +9%

Law and Order (Nixon Domestic)

• Silent Majority- Average American- was tired of protesters– Protesters= Drugs, crime, declining moral

values– Law and Order vs. Protesters Tension

• Kent State• Columbia University and Hard Hats

– FBI and Justice Dept- target protest groups and leaders

» Elvis offers his help

New Federalism (Nixon Domestic)

• New Federalism- States get more money directly but have to fund their own social programs

• Cut back New Deal/ Great Society Social programs– Welfare = “Welfare cheaters”

• Reduce Government spending?

• Military expenditures increased +10%

Supreme Court (Nixon Domestic)

• Nixon appointed 4 judges– Chief- Warren Burger- Moderate– Harry Blackmun- Conservative– Lewis Powell, Jr.- Conservative– William Rehnquist- Conservative

• Shifted the court to the Conservative side– Not friendly towards the Social Movements

Nixon • Abroad:

– Henry Kissinger-Chief Advisor for foreign affairs

– Dentent-1972 Nixon visits China and Soviet Union –easing cold war tensions

– SALT I –Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty • Limited production on nuclear weapons

Nuclear Weapons (Nixon Foreign)

• SALT I Limits ICBM and SLBM (submarine)

• Shows gov’t concern for Nuclear threat– Leads to change in Nuke technology

• Quantity is limited• Size doesn’t matter

– More powerful smaller warheads

• Leads to Salt II (1974) and more reductions

The Watergate Scandal

Watergate Scandal - Nixon• Nixon wanted to win 72’ Election• Aides audio taped people in administration • Were caught during break-in Watergate building

to install tapes• Nixon argued ‘matter of national security’ • Bribed Democrats and Watergate workers• Denied all participation…Butterfield exposed...

IMPEACHED!– Obstruction of justice– Abuse of power– Refusal to turn over tapes

Washington Post Reporters Bob Woodward and

Carl Bernstein …vs….NIXON

Watergate II- It’s all on tape!

• July 1973- Nixon has tapes?– Aug ‘73-Nixon says you can’t have them– Oct ‘73 Nixon gives edited (cut) versions – Jan 74- Executive Privilege?– April 1974- Nixon give edited transcripts

• July 1974- Supreme Court orders all the tapes

• Aug 1974- Nixon delivers tapes

• Aug 9, 1974- Nixon resigns

• Watergate caused many Americans to lose confidence in the government – a feeling that still exists today.

Watergate Significance

• President approved of crime- – Break-in find out, info plant bugs, on Democrats

• Was to promote his re-election• Illegal campaign funds used

• President involved in cover up obstruction– Law and Order President?

• Revealed shady underside of politics

• What else don’t we know about?

• Reinforces distrust of gov’t & politicians

FORD• Home/Domestic Issues

– Pardon’s Nixon • Mixed responses

– Stagflation inflation and unemployment increased…economy stalls

• “Whip Inflation Now” Plan to cut back on use of oil and gas (no incentives, so it does not work)

FORD

• Abroad:

– Continued Détente – Easing of tensions between the U.S. and Communist countries

– Helsinki Accords -- agreement between U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Europe to cooperate economically, promote human rights, and respect national boundaries

CARTER (1976-1980)

• “The Washington Outsider”• Home/Domestic Issues: • Deregulation -- laizze faire• Energy Crisis- National Energy Act-

alternative to use of nuclear energy – Wanted to ease dependency on foreign oil

through energy conservation, new energy supplies, and loosening government regulation

– 1979 Three Mile Island-radiation leak

CARTER • Abroad/Foreign Policy:• Camp David Accords

– Peace negotiation mediated by Carter– Israel agrees to withdrawal from Sinai Peninsula– Egypt agrees to recognize Israel as an actual

country

• SALT II– U.S.S.R invades Afghanistan, & the treaty is

dead in the water

• Iran Hostage Crisis-Iran, U.S, Nicaragua– Revolution in 1979; Iranians disliked U.S.– Iranians seized U.S. Embassy and took

Americans hostage

Pres. Ronald Reagan

•Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980.•America’s oldest president.•A former actor/governor from California.

Reagan (1980-1988)

• Home/Domestic Issues: – Brought hostages home– “New Right” – Decreased federal spending on

social programs• Opposed abortion, blocked Equal Rights

Amendments, return to school prayer

REAGAN • Goals: • Slash taxes-he did!• Reaganomics:

– Cuts on spending in social programs urban transit, food stamps, welfare, etc

– Pay fewer taxes = Save more money• Businesses can produce more, which makes goods cheaper• Trickle Down Economics

• Deregulation – Environmental Protection Agency• Decrease size of federal gov’t• Patriotism-Olympic Games 1984• Conservatives in Supreme Court

REAGAN • Abroad: • INF Treaty – Intermediate Range Forces:

US & Soviet Union Destroyed 2,500 missiles (Perestroika-restructure of economy & Glasnost-openness)

• Iran-Contra Affair-US attempt to solve problems by selling weapons (illegal = public outraged)

• SDI –Strategic Defense Initiative -Star Wars: goal is to detect and destroy

nuclear missiles.

Pres. Ronald Reagan

• This program was nicknamed “Star Wars” and it drastically increased government spending

The Iran-Contra Affair

• Despite the Congressional ban on U.S. funds for the Contras war, Reagan’s national security staff sought to continue the funding.

• In 1985 National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane persuaded Reagan to sell arms to Iran in hopes that Iran would help obtain the release of U.S. hostages in Lebanon.

– This violated a U.S. arms embargo.

• Members of the National Security Council staff then secretly diverted the money from the sale of arms to Iran to the Contras in Nicaragua.

The Iran-Contra Affair• Vice Admiral John Poindexter and Lieutenant Colonel

Oliver North carried out the plan to divert arms sale money to the Contras.

• When the Iran-Contra affair came to light, Congress wanted to know if anyone higher up was involved.

• Reagan admitted authorizing the sale of arms to Iran but denied knowing that the money was then diverted to the Contras.

• Full details of the affair are not known because the administration engaged in a cover-up of their actions.– North admitted destroying key documents.

– High-level Reagan staff members lied in testimony to Congress and withheld evidence.

– North was convicted of destroying documents and perjury. His conviction was overturned on technicalities.

• In 1988 Reagan’s vice president, George H.W. Bush, won election to a term that

saw dramatic changes in the world.

Bush SR. (1988-1992)• Home:

• Increased taxes to pay off deficit=unpopular

• Downsizing=weapons companies

downsized due to

end of Cold War

Bush Sr.

• Berlin Wall Falls in 1989

• Gorbachev resigns in 91 and replaced by Boris Yeltsin– Destroyed USSR and replaced by a loose

alliance of old Soviet Republics– US becomes world big superpower and tries

to establish a “new world order”

THE END OF THE COLD WAR (1989)

Fall of the Berlin Wall

• In 1989, many Soviet republics in the countries of Eastern Europe overthrew communist regimes and declared independence from the Soviet Union

• Citizens of East Germany tore down the Berlin Wall which had been a symbol of Communist oppression

Bush Sr. • Persian Gulf War- 1990

– Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait– Threaten Kuwait's oil supply to U.S. – U.S. and U.N. created plan to stop invasion– Lead by Collin Powell– “Operation Desert Storm”, successful in 6 weeks– Bush opted not to send troops to oust Hussein

• Tianamen Square– Chinese student protest communist gov’t in

Bejing..millions protest, gov’t sends military to stop … millions killed

Clinton - Home front

• Economy-reduced the deficit by increasing taxes and spending cuts

• Whitewater-Clinton accused of taking part in Fraudulent loans and land deals in Ark, hurts popularity

• Impeachment-Lewinsky– Acquitted by the senate after investigations

showed he was guilty, but not a ‘high crime or misdemeanor’

Clinton-Abroad

• US tries to Spread Democracy

• NAFTA –North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement: 1992 – Promote economic cooperation in the

western hemisphere– Gradual removal of trade restrictions

between US, Canada, and Mexico– WTO- World Trade Organization –signed to

promote trade throughout the world-reduce tariffs abroad

Clinton - Abroad

• NAFTA- WTO- showed goals of expanding US throughout world– Public disliked and attacked the growing

Influence of giant worldwide cooperation's (multi-national)

– Opponents-labor unions and environmentalist

Bush Jr.

• Huge tax cuts• Education Reform Bill for increase

accountability for student performance

9/11

• 9/11– 3,000 dead and

missing– Bin Laden prime

suspect (leader of Taliban)

– Refused to give Bin Laden up…

– Launched “operation enduring freedom” on military bases in Afghanistan

– Office of Homeland Security created

2000 Election…

• On election night votes in several states were too close to call b/c neither Bush nor Gore had the 270 electoral votes needed to win presidency – FL-undecided, tip the balance– Both sides made charges that recount was

unfair..36 days of uncertainty– Bush vs. Gore in Supreme Court by majority

of 5 to 4, Justices issued ruling that discontinued all recounts in FL

Immigration Issues

• New and increasing immigration to the United States has been taking place from many diverse countries, especially Asian and Latin American countries.

Immigration

• “Push Factors” – reasons for leaving your country

• “Pull factors” – reasons for entering another country

PUSH FACTORS

• Unemployment

• Political instability

• Need for health care and education

• Famine

PULL FACTORS

• Political freedom

• Job opportunities

• Stable government

• Good healthcare and education

Effects of Immigration

• Bilingual education/English as a Second Language (ESL) courses

• Effects on public policy

• Politics/voting

Effects on Politics

• Immigrant groups often vote as a group or not at all.

• They have a great deal of influence on politics in some cases – Ex. Cuban immigrants influencing US

policy towards Castro and Cuba

Cultural contributions• America has become a “melting pot” of

various cultures.– Ex. Foods – Pasta, waffles, Chinese food,

sushi, sausages, peanut butter, tacos, etc.

Economic• Many immigrants take low paying jobs

that other people don’t want.– They pay better than jobs in their old

countries– Maids, construction worker, farm labor

More Technology Advances

• Cable TV/24-hour news (CNN)

• Personal computers

• Cellular phones– 200 million cell phones

• World Wide Web– 214 million internet users

Communications

• Widespread but unequal access to computers and instantaneous communication

Telecommuting

• When workers use computers to work from home.– Studies show that

workers are more productive

– Ideal for families with small children and other concerns at home

Distance learning

• Where students take some or all of their course work over a computer.– Online chat rooms– Submit papers online– Reading online

articles– E-mailing teachers

Genetic Engineering

• Genetically modified food

• Medicines

• Stem cell research

• Polio Vaccine discovered byJonas Salk