Nixon’s the One!Nixon’s the One!

But which One is he?

• The “Cold Warrior” who hunted communists in the 50’s and continues War in Vietnam

• Or the peacemaker who initiates détente with the USSR.

• The groundbreaker who establishes diplomatic relations with China.

• Or the pro-business Republican who establishes the Environmental Protection Agency & The Philadelphia Plan.

Conservative Backlash

• In the 1960s, many Americans were fed up with the ________________ of the Protest movement• in part, blamed ____________• In the 1968 election, Nixon said

he had the “_______________” on his side

• vowed to restore Law and _______.

• Nixon compromised with the democrats to pass many of his conservative bills• Passed Democrat-written bills, such as the

EPA act, OSHA, and an amendment lowering the voting age

• But at the same time Tried to roll back the Great Society- Welfare State

• “The New Federalism• John Mitchell as Attorney General

Appointed conservative judges to the Supreme Court

• Warren Burger replaced Earl Warren as Chief Justice

• Appointed 4 conservative judges, including William Rehnquist

The New Republican Majority

• The Southern Strategy• Conservative

southerners become Republicans

Henry Kissinger becomes secretary of state

• A Jewish refugee of WWII

• Harvard Professor• National Security

Advisor• Secratery of State• Shuttle Diplomacy

The policy of realpolitik

• dealing with other powerful nations in a practical manner rather than on the basis of political ideals or ethics — for instance, Nixon visits China despite U.S. opposition to Communism and the doctrine of containment.

• Realpolitik can often mean compromising on your principles. For example, the U.S. under Nixon often supported dictators that were human rights violators, in order to, secure the greater national interest of regional stability.

Anew World View

• By negotiating with both China & the USSR he hoped that he could get concessions from both.

• The balance of power in a new world. • OPEC stopped U.S. shipments (raising gas prices

and causing _______)

• Why fight the soviets when we could profit frpm trading with them?

Nixon and China

• July 1971- Nixon makes a secret trip to China• No president had visited

Communist China • Only a communist fighter like

Nixon could go to China, open relations, and not be called soft on communism

The Middle East

• Egypt & Syria attack Israel in 1973.

• US Aids Israel.• Sought to reach a

compromise between the 2 sides

• Cuts off Isael supplies to force peace

• Instituted policy of “détente”; to ease cold war tensions.• Leonid Breznev

• SALT I – breakthrough agreement

• Lays the groundwork for SALTII

• Plays China off the USSR

Latin American military dictators were toppling democratic governments

• Latin American economies growing • Heavy US investment• BUT…Gov’ts often want social reform

before democracy• Threatened American investments• many challenged the U.S.’s economic

dominance of Latin America

• Poverty, illiteracy, hunger• Liberation Theology becomes

popular. Religious leaders who believed only Socialism can bring true development in Latin America.

• Ruling elites turn to the military

• The U.S. tried to resist these reforms; launched a policy of intervention

• In Chile, elected president Allende (a socialist) was overthrown in a CIA sponsored coup

• The new leader, General Pinochet, executed thousands, yet the U.S. resumed trade

• Messy primary campaign• Alabama Governor

George Wallace was shot and paralyzed, brought more conservative votes to Nixon

• Nixon would win with 61% of the popular vote (520 electoral votes to 17)

1972 election, Democrats nominate George McGovern

What was Watergate?

• Nixon was a paranoid president; had almost every room in the White House bugged. He recorded every phone conversation…but guess what?• Also kept a secret “enemies

list” of people he sought to discredit and attack

March 1971, John Mitchell creates CREEP (committee to re-elect the President), I know that it doesn’t spell CREEP…let it go.

• launched an illegal fund-raising campaign

• launched “dirty tricks”• Attempted to break in and

bug the D___________ P____ Headquarters at the W________ hotel; were caught

Washington Post journalists Woodward and Bernstein exposed the scandal and the connection to the President

John Dean testifies

• There was a coverup and the President knew about it.

Oh, and by the way…

• The Senate demanded Nixon’s White House recordings; he refused

• United States V Nixon

• When he does there are 18 minutes missing

• 50 administration officials were facing criminal charges.

• VP Agnew resigns, replaced by Rep. Gerald Ford

Rather than face impeachment proceedings, Nixon resigned

Gerald Ford becomes our 37th president

• 1 month later, Ford pardons Nixon• 1973- Congress passes the War Powers

act, attempting the limit the President’s ability to wage war (to prevent another Vietnam)

Effects of Watergate

• New skepticism about the federal government. The lingo of the scandal--"to cover-up," to "stonewall," and "to leak"--became part of the American political vocabulary.

• Congress passed campaign finance reforms• Woodward and Bernstein's reporting, resulted in a

book & movie, All the President's Men, & infused American journalism with a new adversarial edge.

• The appointment of special prosecutors to investigate allegations of presidential wrongdoing became the norm in Washington.