American history Assignment due in 7 hours
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52308_4293988_TheNixonYears.pptxThe Nixon Years
The Nixon Years represented a time of significant readjustment in the US. By the end of the period, it was clear that a revived conservatism was becoming dominant.
The Shifting Coalitions in the Election of 1968
The Mixed Economic Message of the Nixon Years
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
The Burning of the Cuyahoga River
In 1969, an oil slick and other industrial waste had collected in the Cuyahoga River. Eventually, the river caught fire near downtown Cleveland, Ohio.
The Response of the Nixon Administration
The President supported the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency
The Clean Air Act of 1970
Ralph Nader
In 1965, Nader published a book entitled Unsafe at Any Speed.
Nixon supported the creation of the Consumer Products Safety Commission in 1972.
Answering a Question on the Review Sheet!!!
How did the Nixon administration appeal to the growing conservative movement? How did Nixon continue many of the policies of his Democratic predecessors?
National Organization for Women
Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique (1963)
In 1966, Friedan and a small group of supporters formed the National Organization for Women (NOW).
In the early 1970s, NOW pressured Congress to establish sexual equality.
Roe v. Wade (1973) and the ERA Amendment (1972)
Phyllis Schlafly
In 1977 Phillis Schlafly spearheaded the movement to destroy the Equal Rights Amendment.
Schlafly argued that feminists were “anti-family, anti-children, and pro-abortion.”
Changing Realities for Women
Between 1970 and 1980, the percentage of women enrolled in law school shot up from 5 to 40 percent.
In the 1950s, more than 70 percent of American families with children had a father who worked outside of the home and a mother who stayed at home. By 1980, only 15 percent of families were configured that way.
The Changing Global Economy
By the 1970s other areas of the globe had recovered their industrial sectors and were also competing in the global marketplace.
During the 1970s, foreign manufacturers made dramatic gains in the US automobile market.
The Decline of Detroit
German and Japanese automakers were increasingly competitive in global markets and within the United States as well.
The US auto industry had also developed new models based on the assumption that oil would remain cheap. In 1973, OPEC announced that it would not sell oil to nations supporting Israel.
1970 Toyota Celica
“Stagflation” during the Nixon Years
“Stagflation” was the term coined by economists to describe the unique economic problems facing the nation in the 1970s. Consumer prices continued to rise, but unemployment also continued to clime. In 1967, the inflation rate was at 3%. By 1973 it was at 9% and then in 1974 it reached 12%. In 1969, when Nixon took office unemployment had been at 3.3%. By the end of 1970 it reached 6%. The rising price of oil contributed to the general problem of inflation.
From Industrialism to Service Sector
In 1920, non-agricultural workers were evenly split between the service sector and the industrial sector
The differences between these two sectors increased more rapidly after 1960. In 1970, about 30% of non-farm workers were industrial workers.
This has decreased the influence of unions since unions are more likely to represent industrial workers. In the 1950s, about 35% of the American workforce was unionized. By 2003, about 13% of the workforce was unionized.
Answering a Question on the Review Sheet!!!
What was “stagflation?”
What happened in the 1960s and 1970s that limited American business’s competitive advantages?
Why were Unions less and less able to lend support to the Democratic Party?
Nixon and Vietnam
In Vietnam, Nixon sought to reduce the size of the American ground force but increase the scale of aerial bombardment.
Vietnamization
Increased Violence in Vietnam
Nixon responded by expanding the war into Cambodia and Laos.
A peace deal was reached in 1973, but by 1975 North Vietnam had successfully invaded South Vietnam reunited the two Vietnams.
The Nixon Doctrine
Nixon made it clear that he would not send US troops but that he would be willing to generously fund anti-communist guerillas and governments.
In 1973, a US backed military coup in Chile toppled the Allende government.
Sec. of State Kissinger and Pinochet at a meeting in 1976
Detente
Détente with the Soviet Union and China was part of a US effort to win in Vietnam
In 1969, Nixon and the Soviets negotiated limitations on the production of ICBMs.
Nixon and Improving Relations with China
In 1972, Nixon visited China and strolled along the Great Wall.
In 1973, the US and China exchanged formal diplomatic missions.
Answering a Question on the Review Sheet!!!
How did Richard Nixon respond to worldwide communism? What did Nixon’s anti-communism look like in Latin America? How did Nixon deal with the Soviet Union and China?
A Rather Complex Picture for the 1970s
Nixon both rode to power as a part of a new wave of rising conservatism.
At the same time, many of Nixon’s domestic policies varied little from his Democratic predecessors.
We also see, in the 1970s, continued efforts to push for civil rights even as we see rising conservative movements as well.
Nixon escalated violence in Vietnam and around the globe even as he sought to improve relations with the Soviet Union and China
The Election of 1972
Nixon ran a campaign in which he claimed to represent the interests of the “silent majority.”
Watergate
In the months before the 1972 election, burglars had been caught breaking into the Democratic national Committee headquarters in Washington DC.
First Resignation of a US President in 1974
Answering a Question on the Review Sheet!!!
The audio recordings taken in the Nixon White House would seem to be invaluable pieces of evidence for historians as they try to understand what the President knew and when he knew it. What, however, are the flaws of these tapes? Are they an accurate reflection of the Nixon administration?
The Election of 1976
Continued Economic Problems
Inflation had shot from just below 6% in 1976 to almost 14% by 1979. Wages for workers did not keep pace.
Far from trying to revive New Deal policies in order to restore economic vitality, Carter promoted deregulation as the key to saving American industry.
Of course, under Carter the FED was also determined to keep interest rates high believing that this would stop inflation. At the same time, however, high interest rates meant there was less investment in the economy.
The Moral Equivalent of War
Twice in 1973 and 1976, OPEC had instituted devastating embargoes against the United States. For many, these embargoes highlighted the dependency of the United States on foreign sources of energy.
Most controversial among Carter’s programs were taxes to discourage wasteful consumption.
Successes in Foreign Policy
Relations between Egypt and Israel had been sour since the Yom Kippur War of 1973. After 13 days of difficult bargaining, the two nations began the process of easing tensions. In exchange for improving its relationship with Israel, Egypt was rewarded with financial aid from the US.
Carter expanded upon the easing of tensions with communist China by recognizing the CCP as the official representative of China in 1979.
International Affairs
Republican critics charged the Carter’s stance indicated his weakness on global communism
1979 Iran hostage crisis
Answering a Question on the Review Sheet!!!
Why did many Americans feel that Carter was weak on foreign affairs?
