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Chapter 25: Nixon, Ford, Carter(1969-1981)
PP. 824-859
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Ch. 25.1: Nixon’s Domestic Policypp. 826-831
+25.1: Nixon’s Domestic Policy
1. How did Nixon’s personality affect his relationship with his staff, and his presidency overall?
2. Why was the U.S. vulnerable to OPEC? How did the 1973 oil embargo affect the U.S.?
3. Describe the first manned moon landing.
Complete chart on top of p. 826
+25.1: Nixon’s Domestic Policy(pp. 826-831)
Nixon Biography
Born to modest family in California
Lawyer
Member of Congress ‘47-53 Hard on communism, tough on Cold War
Eisenhower’s VP (they didn’t get along real well)
Lost close election of ’60
Lost gubernatorial election in CA in ‘62
+Nixon in Person
Reserved & remote
Lacked charm & humor
Not a “people person” Few close friends Found security w/ his family: wife Pat & two daughters Enjoyed time away to his estates in FL & CA
Experienced politician
Willing to win at any cost
Anti-East coast, anti-establishment
Believed in strong executive branch “Imperial presidency”
+Nixon’s Staff
Nixon avoided his Cabinet
Instead relied on his White House staff
Staffers gave extreme loyalty
H R Haldeman (top left)—”I get done what he wants done and I take the heat instead of him.”
John Ehrlichman (bottom left)—Nixon’s personal lawyer
The two acted as Nixon’s “Berlin Wall” Had to pass them before speaking w/ the
President
+Nixon’s Staff
John Mitchell (top right)—managed Nixon’s presidential campaign—became Attorney General Spoke w/ Nixon multiple
times/day
Henry Kissinger (bottom right)—former Harvard government professor—national security advisor and then Sec. of State Shaped foreign policy
+Domestic Policy
Vietnam War & domestic policy were key issues of ‘68 election
In domestic policy, Nixon broke from JFK & LBJ
As Nixon took office: Inflation had doubled
between ‘65 & ‘68 Deficit was growing Unemployment on the rise
1st priority=halting inflation
Hoped to get gov’t spending under control
Wanted to avoid price & wage controls
*See inflation chart on p. 828
+Domestic Policy
During 1st term, Nixon struggled to curb spending
Additionally, unemployment & inflation continued to rise
Nixon was OK w/ deficit spending; he thought it would stimulate the economy
Keynesian approach
“I am now a Keynesian in economics” (1971)
Tried a 90-day freeze on wages, prices, & rents in ‘71
Tried a 60-day general price freeze in ‘73
Lifted both after pressure from business world
Inflation soared
John Maynard Keynes, British economist (1883-1946)
+Oil Crisis Factors leading U.S. toward
energy crisis in ’70s: Growing
population=increased need for energy
Environmental concerns w/ coal
Gas prices had been kept low w/ gov’t regulations
Oil output in U.S. declined in ‘72
When Nixon implemented price freezes, oil refineries let supplies run low
When freezes lifted, demand could not be met
In ’73 Israel went to war w/ Egypt & Syria
U.S. supported its ally, Israel
Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) responded by banning all oil trade to U.S.
OPEC quadrupled prices
Higher prices worsened inflation
Consumers spent less & a recession ensued
+Social Programs
Hoped to cut gov’t spending by cutting back or shutting down social programs According to Nixon, programs were wasteful & encouraged
“welfare cheaters”
Called for a new partnership between state & federal governments=“New Federalism” States would assume greater responsibility for well-being of
citizens Congress passed a series of bills that granted fed. Funds to state
& local gov’ts
+The “Southern Strategy” Nixon felt he had little to gain by supporting civil rights
Very few African Americans voted for him in ‘60 & ‘68 Didn’t want to lose white southern voters
Promoted a slowdown in desegregation
Wanted to find the proper “southern strategy” to win over white southern Democrats
Gained support from Strom Thurmond of S. Carolina
Cut funding to enforcement of fair housing laws
Attempted to end certain provisions of Voting Rights Act in 1970
Openly opposed busing to end segregation in public schools
+Nixon’s Supreme Court
Warren Court of ‘53 to ‘69 had been criticized for being too liberal & easy on criminals
During Nixon’s 1st term, 4 of the 9 justices on SC retired or died
Warren Burger, a conservative, replaced Earl Warren in 69; served from ‘69 to ‘86 Easily approved by Senate
Appointed 3 other conservative justices: Harry a. Blackmun; Lewis F. Powell, Jr.; William H.
Rehnquist
+The First Moon Landing Kennedy promised a man on
the moon by the end of the ‘60s
July 20, 1969—Neil Armstrong accomplished that mission
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Watch on TV worldwide
Apollo 11 Crew=Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Colins
Aldrin joined Armstrong on 2 hour moon walk
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Chapter 25.2: Nixon’s Foreign Policypp. 832-837
+Nixon’s Foreign Policy
Define: realpolitik, détente, SALT I, ping pong diplomacy
Complete bubble chart on p. 832
Answer following Qs: What role did Henry Kissinger play in relaxing tensions between
the U.S. & major communist power? How did Nixon reach an agreement w/ the Soviet Union on
limiting nuclear arms?
+Setting the Scene
Nixon set the tone for a new direction for foreign policy in his 1st inaugural address on Jan. 20, 1969
He was able to ease Cold War tensions
Aided by Kissinger he est. ties w/ China & built better relations w/ the Soviet Union
+Henry Kissinger Gained President’s confidence
Appointed Sec. of State in ’73
Helped end U.S. involvement in Vietnam
Nobel Peace Prize in ‘73
Dominant figure in Nixon Administration Talked w/ Nixon daily Not afraid of tough talk He & Nixon were both suspicious &
secretive
*Read his bio in the sidebar on p. 833
+Practical Politics
Realpolitik=German term meaning “practical politics”
Making decisions based on maintaining a country’s own strengths rather than following moral principles
Applied to China & Soviet Union
How does this compare to the policy of containment?
+Kissinger Continued
Ability to use media to shape public opinion
One of the most popular public figures of the ‘70s; became a celebrity
Appeared on 21 Time magazine covers
Gallup poll in ‘73 made him the most-admired American
+Relaxing Tensions
Détente=relaxation in tensions
Nixon’s willingness to hold talks w/ China & Soviet Union shocked many
Nixon had been bitter opponent of Communism in 50s
Bypassing Congress, and sometimes his own advisors, Nixon & Kissinger reversed the direction of postwar American foreign policy
Foreign affairs were more complex than a simple standoff between the U.S. & communism
+Relaxing Tensions
China & the Soviet Union were once allies but had become enemies
The Communist Party of China denounced the Soviet variety of Communism Different interpretations of Marxism Disagreements between Mao Zedong & Nikita Khrushchev
+A New Approach to China
Since Communist takeover in ‘49, the U.S. had not recognized the Chinese government
Politically, the U.S. acted as if China did not exist
Instead the U.S. dealt w/ the government of Taiwan
Nixon looked for a way to better relations w/ Communist China; esp. since China’s relations w/ the Soviet Union had soured
+A New Approach to China
Nixon’s foreign policy report to Congress in 1970:
“The Chinese are a great and vital people who should not remain isolated from the international community….U.S. policy is not likely soon to have much impact on China’s behavior, let alone its ideological outlook. But it is certainly in our interest, and in the interest of peace and stability in Asia and the world, that we take what steps we can toward improved practical relations with Peking (Beijing).”
+A New Approach to China Moves designed to improve relations w/ China:
1.Feb. 1970—American & Chinese ambassadors met in Warsaw, Poland
2. Oct. 1970—Nixon was the first American President to refer to China by its proper name, the People’s Republic of China
3. March 1971—U.S. gov’t lifted restrictions on travel to China
4. April 1971—An American table-tennis team accepted an invitation to visit the mainland; “ping-pong diplomacy”
5. June 1971—U.S. ended its 21 year embargo on trade w/ China
6. July 1971—Nixon announced that he planned to travel to China
Kissinger (left) plays ping pong in 2001, marking the 30th anniversary of “ping pong diplomacy”
+A New Approach to China
Other nations were also officially recognizing the People’s Republic of China
In October of ’71, Taiwan lost its seat in the United Nations to the People’s Republic of China
Nixon realized that he could use Chinese friendship in his dealings w/ the Soviets
Nixon also knew his trip to China would boost his public support at home
He also thought the trip/friendly relations wouldn’t harm his political career b/c of his reputation as a strong anti-Communist
+Nixon Goes to China
Feb. 1972
Met w/ Mao Zedong
Spoke w/ premier Zhou Enlai about international problems
Went to Great Wall & other tourist sites
TV cameras chronicled it all
Basis for diplomatic ties had been established
Most members of Congress & most Americans supported the trip & Nixon’s efforts in China
+Nixon Goes to the Soviet Union
In ’72, after trip to China, Nixon went to Moscow
Received a warm welcome
Met w/ Premier Leonid I. Brezhnev
Several decisions made: Space exploration, eased
trade limits, & a weapons pact
+Balancing the Superpowers
Limited Test Ban Treaty of ‘63 had ended above-ground bomb testing
Arms race continued
Nixon hoped to end nuclear threat & move away from arms race
Both U.S. & S.U. had more than enough weapons to destroy one another
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I)—started in 1969
In ’72, a treaty to limit nuclear weapons
5 year agreement to freeze ICBMs & submarine missiles at ‘72 levels
Also included an agreement restricting missile defense systems
+Balancing the Superpowers
SALT I was a triumph for the Nixon administration
Eased concerns of nuclear war
But did not reduce # of weapons each nation possessed
Paved the way for future talks
Nixon— “Perhaps for the first time, the evolving strategic balance allows a Soviet-American agreement which yields no unilateral advantages. The fact that we have begun to discuss strategic arms with the USSR is in itself important. Agreement in such a vital area could create a new commitment to stability, and influence attitudes toward other issues.”
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