1.White House participation in the Watergate crime 2. a stagnant economy 3. the fall of South Vietnam to communism 4. increased foreign economic competition 5. oil shortages 6. rising unemployment 7. high inflation If, when the chips are down, we act like a pitiful, helpless giant, the forces of totalitarianism and anarchy will threaten free nations and institutions throughout the world. 1969 was the yr. Tv viewers around the world witnessed the sight of American astronauts walking on the moon’s surface. A series of other successes followed this event, such as the U.S. space program, which were high pts. In the 1970s. Offsetting tech. Triumphs were revelations that made Americans aware that even they would have to adjust to a fast-changing, less manageable world. In the January Inaugural Address, he promised to bring America together after the 60s turmoil. Suspicious and secretive by nature Nixon isolated himself to create what’s called an “imperial presidency.” His 1st interest was international relations, not domestic policy, but when he did, it was in a pragmatic fashion that reduced the Cold War tensions. When he took office, many troops were stationed in Vietnam at the time. The principal objective was to reduce U.S. involvement in the war while avoiding the appearance of conceding defeat. He said the country was seeking nothing less than “peace w/ honor.” They all used practical approaches to solve all of their issues in their presidency. he announced he would gradually w/draw troops and give S. Vietnamese the money, the weapons, and the training that they needed to take over the conduct. Under this policy, significantly less troops stayed put. Extending the disengagement to Asian parts, it was created to declare future allies would receive the needed support, but w/o extensive use of ground forces. This reduced the number of antiwar protests. The prez. Used war expansion w/ U.S. forces to invade Cambodia in an effort to destroy their enemy’s bases. Nixon was secretive, but more involved in gov. He withdrew troops and took more assertive actions. LBJ needed conviction to act on his wants or thoughts. A lot of money was spent, even though U.S. troops decided to withdraw and not be POW. A nationwide protest on state college campuses resulted in 4 youths killed by the National Guard. To do some damage control due to the war escalation, the U.S. Senate (not the House) voted to repeal the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. It was soon learned there was a massacre of women & children in the Vietnamese village of My Lai. We became more connected w/ the world, such as Asia and the Soviets. We’ve had more diplomacies and treaties. Further fueling antiwar sentiment was the New York Times of the Pentagon Papers publication, which was a secret gov. History doc. Mistakes and deceptions of policy-makers. They were turned over (leaked) to the press. On the diplomatic front, secret meetings were conducted w/ N. Vietnam’s foreign minister. In the fall of 1972, it was prematurely announced “peace is at hand.” The 2 sides couldn’t reach a deal, and so a massive bombing was ordered (the heaviest air attacks of the long war.) Weeks of B-52 bomber attacks made Vietnam agree to armistice, so the U.S. would w/draw the last of its troops and get back prisoners of war (POW.) The Paris Accords promised a cease-fire & free elections. In practice, it didn’t end the war b/w the N. & the S. and left enemy troops in Vietnam. Before the war ended, there was a very high death toll. The U.S. could finally extricate itself from a war. The $ spent on the war began an inflationary cycle that racked the U.S. economy for years standing. The Prez. strengthened the U.S. position in the world by taking advantage of the rivalry b/w Communist giants (China & the Soviet Union.) Their diplomacy was praised for bringing abt. A deliberate reduction of Cold War tensions. The Watergate scandal was a disgrace for his term, but his critics admitted conduct of foreign affairs enhanced world peace. Nixon knew he was the only outspoken critic of communism to take a bold step of improving relations w/ “Red” China (Mao Zedong's Communist regime) w/o being condemned as “soft.” Secret negotiations w/ China leaders led him to travel to Beijing. His visit initiated diplomatic exchanges in ultimately recognition of the Communist gov. He used this new relationship to put pressure on Soviets to agree to treaty limiting antiballistic missiles (ABMs.) a new tech. Expanding arms race. 1st round of Strategic Arms Limitations Talks (SALT I), diplomats secured Soviet consent to freeze on nuclear warheads. The arms race continued, but it could possibly reduce war tensions and bring on detente. It was successful b/c he was able to stop a war (armistice/cease-fire.) The goal was to leave the war, but still keep some type of contact w/ other nations. The Democrats held majorities in both houses in the 70s. Rep. had to live w/ this reality and obtain concessions through moderation and compromise. He laid the foundation for shift in opinion toward conservatism & rep. Gains that would challenge and overthrow demo. Control in the 80s & 90s. He tried to slow down growth of Johnson’s Great Society programs by proposing a Family Assistance Plan, which replaced welfare by providing guaranteed annual income for workers. Congress easily defeated initiative. The prez. Did succeed in shifting responsibility for social programs from federal to state to local levels. Revenue Sharing aka New Federalism was approved giving block grants to address local needs as they saw fit (instead of specific uses of federal money being controlled by Washington.) They hoped it would check the growth of the federal government. & return responsibility to states, where it rested before New Deal. He attempted to bypass Congress by impounding funds appropriated. Demo. protested such action and abuse of executive powers. The courts agreed, arguing it was duty to carry out laws, whether or not the prez. agreed. Relationship of parity b/w 2 levels of gov. Established. He wanted workers to have better wages and he provided welfare for this cause, for all in need to benefit. The 1970 recession faced unusual combination of economic slowdown & high inflation, a condition referred to as stagflation. Firstly, he cut federal spending. This policy contributed to unemployment and he adopted Keynesian economics & deficit spending to not alienate middle-class. He imposed a 90-day wage and price freeze. He took dollar off gold standard, helping devalue its relative to other currencies. 10% surtax on all imports improved balance of trade w/ competitors. Recession was over the election year. Congress also improved automatic increases for Social Security benefits based on annual rise in cost of living. This measure was for seniors, the poor, and the disabled from the worst effects of inflation, but also created future budget problems. Title IX was also passed, a statue to end sex discrimination in schools. Though far-reaching, the law is best known for its requirement that schools provide girls w/ = athletic opportunities. Many believed it proved to be a key step in promoting women’s equality. Nixon was well aware of his minority status. He devised a political strategy to form by appealing voters who had become disaffected by antiwar protests, black militants, school busing to achieve racial balance, & youth counterculture excess. He referred to these as the “silent majority.” Democrats included southern whites, northern Catholics, and suburbanites who disagreed w/ liberal drift. To win them over, he asked courts in that region to delay integration plans and busing orders. He nominated conservatives. Congress rejected his requests & Senate refused to confirm nominees, but his strategy played well. He also authorized his vice prez. To make verbal assaults and false accusations on war protesters and attack press as liberal. As liberal justices retired, he replaced them w/ more conservative members. He found out his appointees didn’t always rule out like he hoped. This court was more conservative than the Warren court, but major decisions angered conservatives. It issued strict guidelines issuing that made carrying out the death penalty more difficult. In the final days of his Watergate agony, the court he tried to shape denied his claims to execute privilege, and ordered him to turn over the tapes. The court ordered busing to achieve racial balance in the schools. It was a controversial ruling that, and the high court struck down many state laws prohibiting abortions as a violation of a women’s right to privacy. The southern strategy success was evident in when Reps. won in almost every southern state. His reelection was practically assured by (1) foreign policy successes in China and Soviet Union (2) removal of George Wallace from race by an assassin's bullet that paralyzed Alabama populist (3) nomination by the Democrats of a very liberal, antiwar, antiestablishment candidate. The opponent’s campaign quickly went south (off track.) After indecision, he dropped vice prez candidate after discovery he had undergone electroshock treatment for depression. On election day, Nixon carried almost every state. Demos still managed to keep control of Congress. Voting patterns indicated start of political realignment, for a new Rep. party. His electoral triumph made Watergate revelations & scandals even more surprising. The tragedy went well beyond public humiliation, and conviction and jailing of White House officials and aides. It had a paralyzing effect on the political system, a critical time overseas, when the country needed respected, strong, and confident leadership the most. Exploiting racism for votes b/c if he really cared about black ppls rights, he wouldn’t let their mistreatment go on when he could have put an end to it. For liberalism b/c democrats favored abortion, and the laws were taken away to prevent it. He drew in southerners and prevented either party from winning a majority. He failed to force a contingent election, but his party still won. Committee to Re-Elect the President “plumbers”... Nixon ordered wiretaps on gov. Employees and reporters to stop news leaks Why did Nixon replace Vice President (exposed secret of bombing to Cambodia). His group discredited opponents. Before thisSpiro Agnew with Gerald Ford? scandal, these same men had burglarized the psychiatrist office, the person behind the leaking ofHis the previous prez had depression. Pentagon Papers, to obtain info. “enemies list”... prominent Americans who opposed Nixon, the Vietnam War, or both. Ppl on this list were investigated by the government. agencies, such as the IRS. This reflected the attitude of the Nixon admin. any means could be used to promote national security-an objective often confused w/ protecting Nixon admin from its critics. Watergate break in... Group of men hired by election committee were caught breaking into offices of national headquarters in the complex. This attempted bugging, which were some illegal activities and “dirty tricks” conducted by the admin. Watergate Investigation... There was no solid proof demonstrating any of these illegal activities. Clearly, he did His previous president had depression. engage in a cover-up to avoid scandal. Tough sentencing of burglars but federal judge led to info abt. The use of $ & promise of pardons by staff to keep quiet. They brought light to abuses through televised hearings. A highlight was the testimony of a lawyer who linked in the prez. Some resigned to protect Nixon, but then were indicted for obstructing justice. Discovery of the taping system in the oval office led to a year-long struggle for ppl. Who wanted the full truth to set the record straight for charges. They received another blow, when vice prez resigned due to taking bribes. Although the Watergate affair absorbed most of Nixon's attention during his shortened second term, important developments occurred at home and abroad The news that Nixon had approved 3,500 secret bombing raids in Cambodia, a neutral country, further tarnished his image. The national outcry about this knowledge was used by Congress to try to curb the president's military powers. After a long fight, Congress overrode Nixon's veto and passed the War Powers Act in November 1973. This law mandated that Nixon and every future president report to Congress within 48 hours of taking military action. It also stipulated that any military action lasting more than 60 days must be approved by Congress. President Nixon vetoed the War Powers Resolution, which would limit presidential power to commit armed forces abroad without Congressional approval. The outbreak of another Middle Eastern war was the most significant incident in world affairs in 1973. Syrians and Egyptians launched a surprise assault on Israel on Yorn Kippur, the Jewish holy day, in an effort to reclaim lands lost in the 1967 Six-Day War. To stop Israel's withdrawal, President Nixon placed the US nuclear forces on high alert and airlifted nearly $2 billion in weapons to the nation. The tide of combat rapidly turned in Israel's favor, and the war was over in no time. The impact of the U.S. policy led to the Israelites Nixon made triumphant visits to Moscow and Cairo in 1974, but his domestic standing began to deteriorate. In April 1974, the House of Representatives began impeachment proceedings, prompting Nixon to release transcripts of some of the Watergate tapes. Just days after the Watergate break-in, a transcript of one such White House conversation directly implicated Nixon in the cover-up. Richard Nixon opted to resign on August 9, 1974, in the face of certain impeachment in the House and a trial in the Senate. Similarities: Both men were tried in congress and caused resentment Differences: In 1867, Johnson dismissed his Secretary of War Edward Stanton from office, in violation of the Tenure of Office Act, causing resentment. Nixon declined to turn over taped phone conversations that were thought to link him to the robbery and its cover-up. To some, the final result of the Watergate crisis (Nixon's forced resignation) demonstrated that the United States' constitutional system of checks and balances functioned as expected. Others saw the scandal as highlighting the risky transfer in power to the presidency that started with Franklin D. Roosevelt and grew during the Cold War. Watergate, without a doubt, led to an increasing lack of In any case, Congress or the President behaved in contravention trust in the federal government. of the most clearly known legal course of action at the time, though the acts were never unconstitutional. The first two cases involved resolving indeterminate or contested electoral votes from the US presidential election process, while the third case Gerald Ford had served in Congress for years as a representative from Michigan and as the Republican minority leader of the House until Nixon appointed him to succeed Vice President Agnew involved a disputed presidential pardon. In either scenario, the in 1973. Ford was a likeable and unpretentious man, but his capacity to be president was questioned president was elevated for a single term, or a single vacancy, and then either did not run for reelection or was not reelected by many. when he did. President Ford squandered many people's confidence in his first month in office by granting Nixon a complete and unconditional pardon for any crime he may have committed. And before any formal proceedings or prosecution had been brought by a court of law, the pardon was extended. Ford was accused of striking a "corrupt deal" with Nixon, but he clarified that the pardon was intended to put an end to the "political nightmare," rather than extend it for months, if not years. Nixon's critics were enraged that the full truth about his actions was never revealed. The Democratic Congress continued to look for abuses in the executive Failure of U.S. Policy in Southeast Asia... In 1974, President Ford was unable to persuade Congress to provide additional funds for the South Vietnamese, who were under siege by Communist forces. Fall of Saigon... The US-backed government in Saigon fell to the enemy in April 1975, and Vietnam was united under the Communist government in Hanoi (North Vietnam's capital). Just before the final collapse, the US was able to evacuate approximately 150,000 Vietnamese who had previously helped the US and were now at risk of persecution. The fall of South Vietnam marked a low point in American international reputation and domestic morale. It did not play out. The now-discredited domino theory was used by the US government in Southeast Asia to justify its role in the Vietnam War and support for a non-communist dictator in South Vietnam. In reality, advocates of the domino theory overestimated the effect of the United States' inability to avoid a communist victory in Vietnam. Communism struggled to spread across Southeast Asia, with the exception of Laos and Cambodia. Genocide in Cambodia... In 1975, the Khmer Rouge, a radical Communist group that killed over a million of its own citizens in a violent resettlement campaign to rid the nation of western power, overthrew the US-backed government in Vietnam's neighbor, Cambodia. The Southeast Asian wars resulted in the displacement of ten million people, many of whom sought asylum in the United States. Future of Southeast Asia... While the collapse of Cambodia seemed to confirm Eisenhower's domino theory, communism did not spread across Southeast Asia. Instead, countries like Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia have emerged as the "small tigers" of Asia's (Pacific Rim) economy. Some argued that the United States' support for South Vietnam was not in vain because it enabled other East Asian and Southeast Asian countries to grow and better resist communism. It left Vietnam in a visceral pain. It led to many refugees fleeing to the U.S. and many other places around the world. It was not, as it soon caused more heated debates between the United States and the Soviet Union. Ford was less tolerant and more pragmatic than Nixon on domestic issues. His main concern was keeping inflation in check. He encouraged companies and customers to take voluntary steps, such as wearing WIN buttons (Whip Inflation Now). Not only did inflation continue, but the economy fell further into recession, with the unemployment rate exceeding 9%. Ford eventually agreed to a Democratic stimulus package, but he vetoed 39 other Democratic bills in the process. The United States of America turned 200 years old in 1976. The pride that Americans have in their heritage has aided in putting Watergate and Vietnam behind them. Also Gerald Ford's mediocre presidency achieved the aim of returning candor and modesty to the White House. It was successful to get people to start taking inflation as “public enemy number one.” Apart from that, by the New Year, interest had faded as the program struggled to produce the desired results, and the program was soon phased out. Central bank policy, the abandonment of the gold window, Keynesian economic policy, and market psychology In the 1976 elections, the shadow of Watergate hung over the Republican Party. President Ford was challenged for the Republican nomination by Ronald Reagan, a former actor and California governor who drew support from the party's more conservative members. Ford narrowly secured the nomination, but his feud with Reagan hurt him in the polls. A number of Democrats ran for the Democratic nomination, including James Earl Carter, a little-known former governor of Georgia. His wins in open primaries weakened the hand of more seasoned Democratic politicians. Following the Watergate scandal, the Democrats gained large majorities in both houses of Congress. Carter's acute intellect and commitment to duty may have been partly a weakness in causing him to pay careful attention to all aspects of government operations. Carter was a "leaf guy," according to critics, when it came to distinguishing between the forest and the trees. It caused a massive drive in the statehouse to overhaul the way elections are run. Many lawmakers were rushing to open up their financial affairs even without being prodded. Carter's foreign policy was defined by human rights, which he preached to the world's dictators with Wilsonian zeal. Andrew Young, an African American, was named as the United States' ambassador to the United Nations by Carter. Carter and Young fought for human rights all over the world, especially in South Africa and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), where all-white governments oppressed the black majority. In Latin America, human rights abuses by Argentina's and Chile's military regimes prompted Carter to cut off US assistance to those nations. He’d be like “Dude. Why are you giving it away.” By signing a new treaty, the Carter administration sought to address inequities in the original Panama Canal Treaty of 1903. After much discussion, the Senate ratified a treaty in 1978 that would eventually hand over operation and management of the Panama Canal to Panamanians, with the process set to be completed by the year 2000. Opponents will recall Carter's 1980 election "giveaway" of the canal. Carter's most notable accomplishment as president was negotiating a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. Following up on this bold move, President Carter invited Sadat and Begin to meet again at the presidential retreat in Camp David, Maryland. Egypt later became the first Arab country to recognize Israel as a result of a peace treaty signed in 1979. In exchange, Israel withdrew its forces from the Sinai Peninsula, which it seized from Egypt during the 1967 Six-Day War. It’s still valid because despite the fact that the Camp David Accords have done nothing to promote stability in what has been a volatile area of the world for many years, they have helped to stabilize ties between two of the Middle East's most powerful countries. Carter's main source of annoyance was the Middle East. Anti-American sentiment had been high in Iran after the US assisted in the overthrow of the country's constitutionally elected leader and the installation of a dictatorial government in 1953. During the 1970s, the shah kept the oil flowing for the West, but his autocratic rule and westernization policies alienated a significant portion of the Iranian population. Carter's presidency was marred by the hostage crisis, which lasted until the end of his term. SALT I led to the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and an interim agreement between the two countries. SALT II resulted in an agreement in 1979 in Vienna and because of that, the US Senate chose not to ratify the treaty in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which took place later that year. President Carter tried to keep the Nixon-Ford detente policy with China and the Soviet Union going. The US was concerned that the invasion would lead to a Soviet takeover of the oil-rich Persian Gulf. Carter retaliated by imposing a ban on grain exports and high-tech sales to the Soviet Union, as well as boycotting the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Carter had to turn to an arsenal buildup after campaigning for arms reduction. Because Americans were scared it would lead to another huge war like the Vietnam War. The main problem at home was the rising inflation rate. Carter attempted to control inflation at first by enacting policies aimed at conserving oil energy and reviving the US coal industry. However, the agreements reached in Congress failed to minimize oil consumption or keep inflation in check. Inflation appeared almost out of control in 1979-1980, reaching an unheard-of peak of 13%. Consumers and companies could no longer afford the high interest rates that came with high prices as a result of inflation, which hindered economic growth. Paul Volcker, the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, intended to crack the back of inflation by raising interest rates to 20% in 1980. Carter's popularity has suffered as a result of the Iranian hostage crisis and the deteriorating economic crisis. Carter blamed the United States' problems on a "economic and spiritual crisis" of the American people in a speech dubbed "national malaise" by the press in 1979. Many Americans, however, blamed the president at the time for his indecisive and ineffective leadership. They were successful with results in sound monetary and fiscal integrity that achieved the goal of price stability. Half of all Americans lived in the fast-growing South and West by the end of the decade, marking a new period of social changes. There was increased attention on senior citizens (over the age of 65) in the seventies, with them being the largest growing age group. Minority demographics were changing as well, with 25 percent of Americans being minorities by the 1990s. In fact, the Census Bureau estimated that by 2050, half the population would be Hispanics, Asian-Americans, or African-Americans, with cultural pluralism taking reign over the melting pot. Cultural traditions were to be celebrated alongside equal rights. Half of all Americans populated the South and West Millions of immigrants were entering the United States, with most from Latin America and Asia. Prior to the 1960s, most American immigrants were from Europe or Canada. However, by the 1980s, American immigrants were mostly from Latin America (47 percent) and Asia (37 percent), with Europe and Canada making up less than 13 percent. Refugees from the previously Communist regimes in Cuba and Vietnam helped the numbers. Additionally, President Johnson’s Immigration Act of 1965 helped to allow more migrants aside from just Europe. Approximately 12 million foreigners entered the United States illegally by the 1970s. The sheer amount of illegal immigrants led to the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which included penalties for businesses that employed illegal migrants for work. Additionally, immigrants who arrived by 1982 were granted amnesty. Still, many Americans felt that immigration rates were out of control, with a million immigrants (legal and illegal) entering the country each year. Inspired by the protest movements of the 1960s, various minorities sought out both recognition and equal treatment from American society through movements of their own. Before World War II, most Hispanics lived in the Southwest, but the postwar years saw migrants from Puerto Rico, Cuba, South America, and Central America settling around the Midwest and East. Deported Mexican workers found themselves back in the United States after the Great Depression years, and took low paying jobs, which led to heavy exploitation by their employers. Eventually, Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers Organization led lengthy boycotts that led to collective bargaining rights for farm workers in 1975. Mexican-Americans also achieved a federal mandate for bilingual education, allowing students to learn in both English and Spanish. Throughout the 1980s, many Hispanics were elected to public office, serving as mayors for cities like Miami and San Antonio. In 2000, Hispanics (Cubans, Puerto Ricans, plus other Latin Americans) became the largest minority group. During the 1950s, the Eisenhower administration had unsuccessfully attempted to relocate Native Americans away from reservations and into urban America. Native leaders determined that leaving the reservations would result in a loss of cultural identity. Subsequently, the American Indian Movement (AIM) was formed in 1968 as a way for Native Americans to achieve self-determination and revive their tribal traditions. AIM members proceeded to occupy Alcatraz Island’s abandoned prison in 1969 and Wounded Knee in 1973. Native Americans also managed to pass the Self-Determination Act of 1975, which gave Native Americans lands increased agency over their internal programs, education, and policing. Some even regained property and money for treaty violations. To help improve education and reduce poverty, the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act of 1978 was passed, alongside new casinos on the reservation. In 2010, almost 3 million people identified as Native American, with two million more claiming Native admixture. Senior citizens (over 65) were the fastest growing demographic. LBJ’s 1965 Immigration Act greatly impacted the demographics of the 70s. Europeans were no longer entitled to an immigration quota, ending their lead in migration numbers. Plus, more immigrants from various countries could now enter the country, allowing for more diversity. Both Cesar Chavez and Martin Luther King felt that minorities were often exploited, and that legislation to ensure their equal rights was essential. The 1975 Indian Self-Determination Act gave Native Americans more agency over their policies than the 1887 Dawes Severalty Act. Casinos effectively funnel money out of an American’s pockets into a Native American’s pockets, at no extra labor from the Native American. By allowing Americans to gamble away their hard-earned money and give it to the Native Americans, a form of financial reparations is created. By the 1980s, Asians became the fastest growing minority group. Hailing from China, the Philippines, Japan, India, Korea, and Vietnam, strong education helped them to enjoy residence at the top schools in America. However, those less fortunate still suffered from poor schooling, and all faced discrimination, racism, and envy from their peers. Starting from a riot at a 1969 New York gay bar called the Stonewall Inn, the subsequent movement for gay rights propelled activists to end discrimination, to stop violent abuse, and for gay people to be open in their identities. By the mid 1970s, homosexuality was no longer classified as a mental illness, and open gay people could be legally employed by the federal Civil Service. In 1993, President Clinton compromised for a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, where gay people could enroll, but could not openly disclose their sexuality. I believe that the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy helped the most in improving tolerance of homosexuality. By being in close proximity to gay people, Americans could see how they were, and develop a tolerance to them. The other two policies helped with legality of homosexuality, but tolerance was mostly affected by the closeness that the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy would grant gay and straight people. With widespread support, the Environmental Movement had participation from 20 million Americans during the first Earth Day in 1970. Many Americans were concerned over air and water pollution as well as the destruction of the natural biosphere. The media and public alike questioned industrial practices, a hallmark of the new “post-modern” culture. Oil spills, like the 1969 Santa Barabara spill to the 1989 Exxon Valdez Alaska spill, helped in increasing public concern over human errors combined with modern technology. Support for nuclear energy also diminished, due to the 1979 Pennsylvania Three Mile Island power plant accident and the infamous 1986 Chernobyl nuclear reactor incident. Borrowing practices from other protest movements, the environmental movement aimed to secure legislation to stop pollution and the destruction of nature. In 1970, Congress passed the Clean Air Act and created the Environmental Protections Agency (EPA). Following this, the acts were expanded upon with the 1972 Clean Water Act and the Endangered species act of 1973. A Superfund was created in 1980 for cleaning up toxic dumps, including Love Canal in Niagara Falls. These bills all helped the environment, protecting animals, the water, and the atmosphere. However, the 1980s would witness businesses and industries attempt to reverse this legislation. The various movements happening in America helped to develop a higher sense of social stress and fragmentation. When faced with the addition of a declining economy and lackluster standard of living, many Americans felt bitterness and anger over the liberal policies that were being passed. Gradually, Americans were increasingly adopting conservatism over New Deal liberalism, with support growing around the late 70s. Although the Equal Rights Amendment was endorsed by Nixon, it failed to be ratified by a majority of states so when he appointed women, textbooks thought it wasn't significant. Nixon is remembered more for Watergate and detente due to how controversial acts of conspiracy are, and how highly publicized the affairs were. 1) Air pollution 2) Water pollution 3) Destruction of the natural environment, including wildlife. Cold War presidents did undermine the Constitution, as shown by when President Lyndon B. Johnson passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which allowed placement of American troops in Vietnam. However, it did not follow the constitutional clause of officially declaring war, and instead ignored it, undermining the terms.
