The 70’s and 80’s Presentation

The 70’sAn Age of Limits

The Nixon Administration Richard M. Nixon- entered office in 1969 and focused on a more conservative AmericaNew Federalism- Nixon’s idea to reduce the

size and power of the federal governmentRevenue Sharing- distribution of federal

money to state and local governments with few or no restrictions on how to spend it

By 1972- the Revenue-sharing bill, known as the State and Local Fiscal Assistance Act became law

Nixon expands the GovernmentIncreased Social SecurityEnlarged the Food Stamp ProgramOccupational Safety and Health

Administration- protecting workers on the job

Environmental Protection Agency-protect human health and the environment

Nixon AdministrationFamily Assistance Plan (FAP)- a

welfare-reform proposal approved by the House in 1970 but defeated by the Senate that would have guaranteed an income to welfare recipients who agreed to undergo job training and to accept work.

It would have gone to families of 4 and they would have earned up to 4,000 dollars a year in supplemental income or unemployed who would then undergo job training (excluding mothers of preschool children)

The Country Under Nixon

Stagflation-high inflation and high unemployment due to deficit spending, international trade, and flood of new workers (women and baby boomers).Nixon attacked Stagflation in 3 ways; froze

wages, new agency to limit future wage increases, increased government spending to fight unemployment

OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)- oil producing countries of the Middle East where American received their oil including Israel, Egypt, and Syria,

When a war broke out among the Middle Eastern countries US aided Israel and the Arab countries cut off oil supplies. Increase in Oil prices worsened inflation.

Energy Crisis- government urged homeowners to lower their thermostats, and reduced highway speeds

Nixon and the Cold WarRealpolitik- “political realism” meaning foreign policy

should be based solely on consideration of power, not ideals or moral principles.

Henry Kissinger, Nixon’s advisor for national security, felt Realpolitik was a good philosophy and the US needed to confront powerful nations with negotiations and sometimes military engagement.

Détente- policy aimed at easing cold war tensions byNixon visited China to ease tensions and opened the door

of economic and diplomatic relations. Nixon also traveled to Moscow (1st US president to visit).

Nixon and Brezhnev signed the SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) I Treaty- a five year agreement that limited the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and submarine-launched missiles to 1972 levels.

These foreign policy triumphs with China and the Soviet Union helped reelect Nixon as president in 1972.

Watergate: Nixon’s Downfall The Watergate Scandal- Nixon’s

administration and attempt to cover up a burglary of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office and apartment complex in Washington DC.

NIXON wins the 1972 election but the scandal will lead to his downfall as president

Nixon’s chief advisorsK.R. Haldeman- White House Chief of Staff

John Erilchman- Chief Domestic adviser John Mitchell- Attorney GeneralJohn W Dean III- Presidential Council

Story and CoverupOn June 17th 2:30 AM, a guard at Watergate

caught five men breaking into the campaign headquarters of the DNC. The burglars planned to photograph documents outlining Democratic Party Strategy and to place wiretaps or bugs in the office telephone.

The groups leader James McCord, former CIA agent was the security coordinator for a group known as the Committee to Reelect the President. John Mitchell was also an accomplice who resigned as Nixon’s attorney general and ran Nixon’s reelection campaign.

The cover up quickly began and workers shredded all incriminating documents in Haldeman’s office. The White house and Nixon asked the CIA to urge the FBI to stop its investigations into the burglary on the grounds of National Security in addition the CPR passed out nearly $450,000 to the Watergate burglars to buy their silence after they were indicted in September of 1972.

NEWS NEWS NEWS Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein

kept on the Watergate scandal throughout the 1972 campaign through articles in the Washington Post. Reporter’s uncovered information that linked many members of administration to the burglary.

1973-trial of Watergate burglars began, Judge John Sirica made it clear he believed the men did not act alone and just days before the burglars were sentenced James McCord sent a letter to Sirica that he said he lied under oath and hinted that powerful members of Nixon’s administration had been involved in the break in.

The ScandalNixon, upon hearing the news, acted

by firing counsel John Dean, Richard Kliendienst, and said he did not attempt to cover it up and hired Elliot Richardson to investigate Watergate. By May 1973 the senate began its own investigation by Samuel James Ervin and he called Nixon’s administration to give their testimony.

John Dean delivered the first testimony against Nixon stating they had several meetings about the deceit.

Alexander Butterfly revealed that Nixon had tapes that showed he knew about the scandal

Surrender…..Saturday Night Massacre- a name

given to the resignation of the US attorney general and the firing of his deputy in October 1973, after they refused to carry out president Nixon’s order to fire the special prosecutor investigating the Watergate affair.

The Entire White House is under siege and Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned after it was revealed he accepted bribes from Maryland engineering firms as governor of Maryland. President Nixon nominated House Minority leader General R Ford as his new vice-president and congress quickly affirmed.

Fessing Up???In spring of 1974 Nixon told a

television audience that he was releasing 1,254 pages of edited transcripts of the Whitehouse about Watergate. His offerings failed and Nixon refused to release unedited versions of the tapes. The Supreme Court stated that President Nixon must release the tapes and on July 27th the committee approved three articles of impeachment charging the president with obstructions of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of congress for refusing to obey a congressional subpoena to release the tapes.

Nixon Resigns Nixon released the tapes and there were mysterious

gaps that his secretary accidentally erased part of the conservations between H R Haldeman and Nixon.

Just days before the House voted on Nixon’s impeachment and Nixon resigned and within a short time General Ford was sworn in as the 38th president. Impeachment is the process of accusing a public official of a wrong doing. Nixon stated that some of his judgments “were wrong.”

After Watergate, some 25 members of Nixon’s administration were convicted and served prison terms. After Watergate the American public and media opened a general suspicion about public officials that still exists today. Watergate remains the scandal and investigative story against which all others are measured.

FORDGerald R Ford- 38th president who

urged America to put the Watergate scandal behind them. “I am a Ford not a Lincoln” stating when he pardoned Nixon and lost public support

Ford attempted to fight inflation with his “whip inflation now” program, but continued to butt heads with the democratic congress. Ford vetoed more than 50 pieces of legislation

Helsinki Accords- a series of agreements that promised greater cooperation between the nations of Eastern and Western Europe which is known as Fords greatest presidential accomplishments.

CarterJimmy Carter- Democratic nominee

and former peanut farmer and governor of Georgia. “I will never tell a lie.” And Carter won by a narrow margin bringing a down to earth style to Washington.

Carter, attempting to help the country’s economic crisis, urged the country to cut back on oil consumption in his “malaise speech” (a feeling of unease).

National Energy Act- This act placed a tax on gas guzzling cars, removed price controls on oil and natural gas and extended tax credits for the development of alternative energy.

Panama CanalUS Panama

Canal relations were better after Panama ratified treaties of the nation and gave back ownership of the Panama Canal.

SALT II

Carter insistence on human rights broke down relations between the Soviet Union. They attempted to sign SALT II- which limited strategic weapons and nuclear-missile launchers that each side could produce. The SALT II agreement met opposition in the Senate but when the Soviet Union invaded the neighboring country of Afghanistan Carter refused to fight and SALT II treaty died.

Camp David AccordsCamp David

Accords- first signed peace agreement with an Arab Country, Israel agreed to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula, which it had seized from Egypt during the Six day War in 1967. Egypt, in turn, formally recognized Israel’s right to exist

Iran Hostage CrisisAyatollah Ruhollah Khomeini-

Muslim Religious leader who led rebels in overthrowing the Shah in Iran and establishing a religious stated based on strict obedience to the Qur’an (sacred book of Islam).

Carter let the shah come to the US to receive cancer treatment and this infuriated the revolutionaries of Iran. They seized the US embassy in Iran and took 52 American hostages until Carter would send back Shah. These Americans remained hostages for over a year and were released shortly after Regan took presidential office.

Environmental ActivismRachel Carson- “Silent Spring”

growing use of pesticides and how they poisoned food.

½ million copies sold and the nation was aware of the environmental affects on humans

Earth Day- April 22, 1970, 10,000 schools and 2,000 colleges hosted some type of environmental-awareness activity and spotlighted such problems as pollution, growth and toxic waste, and the earth’s dwindling resources.

Clean up the air……. Environmentalists- someone who takes

an active role in the protection of the environment

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)- consolidation of 15 existing federal pollution programs in which this new agency was given power to set and enforce pollution standards

1970- Clean Air Act of 1963 (air standards) Endangered Species Act Alaska Pipeline developed 1968- Nixon

passed the Alaska native Claims settlement Act which gave acres of land to the state’s native tribes for conservations and tribal use

Clean Water Act of 1972 Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 Reduction of Acid Rain

3 MILE ISLANDh

Three Mile Island- a plant where one of the nuclear reactors malfunctioned where the reactor overheated after its cooling system failed. Many feared that radiation might escape and spread over the region. Two days later a low level radiation actually did escape and officials evacuated some residents while some fled on their own.

April 9th Nuclear Regulatory commission, the federal agency that monitors the nuclear power industry, announced that the immediate danger was over.

Many movies were created to make the public aware of Nuclear energy because the government refused to close Nuclear power plants. No new nuclear power plants have been built since 1979.

ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxH9N3N1L08 3 mile island video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLiqvZOP8TYGulf Spill

Women Fight for EqualityMale Chauvinist- person who believed men

are superior to womenFemale tennis star Billie Jean King took on

male chauvinist Bobby Riggs on the tennis court to prove women could be competitive in sports. King easily defeated Riggs on the tennis court

Comparable worth- jobs with comparable worth should receive the same pay

National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC)- goal: to get women into political office

Technology improves 1977 Star Wars- computer generated effects Microprocessor- PC’s became practical in 1971 through a chip

Pocket sized calculator- 1971Video games- 1972 (Pong in arcades)Apple introduced a computer small enough to have at home in

1977 Medical Advances in vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella

Computed Tomography Scanner (CT) 1974Test-tube baby 1978- in vitro (fertilized egg outside the body)

1st baby born in 1981 (very controversial back then) Microwaves and Movies at home- working women needed

conviencnce and the microwave was inventedVCR- allowed people to record TV shows and watch them laterMovie rentals increased

Baby Bust and Retirement BoomUS population was getting older

Birth Dearth- families decreased and there was a lack of births

People living longer- life expectancy 74 yrsRetirement- fun, travel, and relocationRustbelt formed- rusting factories and

declining industries of the North because of the Sunbelt

1980’s: Ronald Reagan

The Reagan Revolution1980-1988

Ronald Reagan took office in 1981 defeating Carter and based his political ideals on positions of the conservative movement.

Reagan almost dies….

1981- attempted assassination by a mentally unbalanced man, John Hinckley Jr.

Reagan was shot but recovered rather quickly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Bj6aOgfcJU&feature=PlayList&p=1F598750308BE6AE&index=0&playnext=1

Conservative CoalitionReagan appealed to Evangelicals-

Christians who emphasize the authority of the bible

Moral Majority- Political lobbying group headed by Jerry Falwell in 1979 who wanted their voices heard “pro-life, pro-family, pro-moral, and pro-America”

New Right- Political Movement which focused on conservative causes

Reagan’s PlanReducing the size of the Federal

governmentLowering government spendingpromoting traditional morality and valuesstimulating business by reducing

government regulations and lowering taxesstrengthening the national defense

“Reaganomics”

To reach this goal Reagan:

make deep cuts in government spending on social welfare programs

lower taxes

Supply Side Economics

“Trickle Down” affect

The idea is that: large tax cuts on investments would give more money to the

wealthy in turn the wealthy would invest their money in new

businesses in order to make more money the new businesses would create new products and services

creating more jobs for workers more workers would be making more money creating more

taxpayers more taxpayers would increase federal revenues

The Results of Reaganomics1982 -initially high interest rates caused a

severe recession

1986 – inflation dropped to 4% (1980 = 14%)GNP increased by 10%Unemployment declinedStock Market soared

1987 – market crashed due to automated and computerized selling controls

1988 – economy recovered and continued to be a “Bull Market”

Cost of Reaganomics

National Debt soared to $4 trillion (1992)

(1980 = $900 billion)

Reagan did not cut “entitlement programs”

Social Security Veteran’s pensions Medicare

Programs cut: ($40 billion)

urban mass transitfood stampswelfare benefitsjob trainingMedicaidschool lunchesstudent loans

Social Concerns of the 1980’sHealth Issues

AIDS- acquired immune deficiency syndrome

Drug Abuse- possibly legalized to reduce gang activity

Reagan started his war on drugs campaign “Just Say No”

Social Concerns continued…

EducationA Nation at Risk- 1983 Americans lagged

behind other industrialized nations (23 million could not fill out a job application)

Challenger Explosion January 28th 1986 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljPYmSdyVZc

URBAN Crisis- Rodney King Riots 1991 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROn_9302UHg

Equality Equality

National Rainbow Coalition- political organization which advocated social progress and equal rights for women, gays, and people of color led to the Gay Rights Movement

Women, African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian-Americans

New Jersey v T.L.O- students belongings may be searched with reasonable cause “school rules”

Immigration Reform and Control Act- increased border patrol

Abortion- Roe v Wade 1973 legalized

Military Spending

To strengthen the national defense Reagan increased military spending.

Between 1981 and 1984 the defense budget almost doubled

“Star Wars” program (aka) Strategic Defense Initiative- created a missile shield to protect the US from a nuclear attack by “knocking down incoming missiles

Battling Communism in Central America and the CaribbeanReagan Doctrine- provide aid to support

anticommunist insurgents and movements Sandinistas and Contras fighting in

Nicaragua- US backed Contras fighting against communist Sandinistas (illegal covert actions had taken place and would get Reagan involved in a scandal)

Grenada- US invaded and took over (looked down upon by many other nations)

Iran Contra ScandalIn 1983 Iranian terrorist took many

American’s hostage until president Reagan had approved the sale of arms to Iran. Reagan’s staff sent part of the profits from the illegal arms to the Contra’s in Nicaragua which was a violation of the Boland Amendment, many of Reagan’s staff members were found guilty and fined for their actions.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8476042566108039966&hl=en

Foreign Policy and the Cold War

Mikhail Gorbachev- 1985 Soviet Union leaderGlasnost- (openness) allowed for

Soviet Government to have freedom of the Press

Perestroika- Government having less control

INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces) treaty-eliminated two classes of weapons systems in Europe

Gorbachev

1991- Gorbachev resigned as president and the Soviet Union dissolved (tearing down of the Berlin Wall)

CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) created

1992- George Bush and Boris Yeltsin (Russian President) issued a formal statement the Cold War was over and signed STARTT Pact- which cut both nations arsenals by 2/3’s

Communism in China

Tiananmen Square- 1989 demonstrations in Beijing by students demanding freedom of speech

China’s Premier, Le Peng, ordered the military to stop the protestors while the rest of the world was left to watch these events unfold