Power Presentations
CHAPTER 31
Citizenship
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It is the evening of August 8, 1974. You are watching
television when your favorite program is interrupted by
a speech from President Richard M. Nixon. Looking
grim and tired, Nixon says that he will resign the next
day. You wonder how the country will cope with the crisis.
How is America able to
survive a crisis and move on?
• What happens when a president resigns
from office? Has a president resigned before?
• How has the government functioned
when a president has died?
• What other crises has the
country faced?
1969 Richard M. Nixon is
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inaugurated as president.
U.S. astronauts land on moon.
1972 Watergate break-in occurs.
Nixon is reelected.
1974 Nixon resigns.
Gerald Ford becomes president.
1976 The U.S. celebrates its bicentennial.
Jimmy Carter is elected president.
1980 Ronald Reagan is elected president.
To World
1969 Golda Meir becomes prime minister of Israel.
1970 Anwar el-Sadat becomes president of Egypt.
1971 General Idi Amin seizes power in Uganda.
1973 U.S. involvement in Vietnam War ends.
Military overthrows government of Chile.
1975 South Vietnam surrenders to North Vietnam.
1978 Camp David Accords are signed.
1979 Americans are taken hostage in Iran.
Soviet Union invades Afghanistan.
1981 American hostages are released by Iran.
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Main Idea
President Richard M. Nixon faced
the challenge of governing a deeply
divided America.
Why It Matters Now
Social, economic, and political
divisions are still a part of American life.
What problems did President
Nixon face during his first term?
recession
inflation
unemployment
racial problems
PROBLEMS NIXON
FACED DURING HIS
FIRST TERM
crime
protests over the
Vietnam War
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Cold War tensions
• How did Nixon try to show support
for law-and-order politics?
• What economic problems developed
during Nixon’s first term as president?
• How did Nixon change the country’s relationship
with China? With Russia?
Making Inferences
Nixon often surprised Americans in the
policies that he supported. Which do you
think was most surprising? Why?
Think About
• his economic policies, such as deficit spending
• his appointment of conservative justices
• the policy of détente
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Main Idea
Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate
scandal caused a political crisis that forced him
to resign.
Why It Matters Now
Watergate led many Americans to have less
confidence in government and politicians.
What were the major events of the Watergate scandal?
June 1972
Watergate break-in
March 1973 John
Dean testifies before
Senate
February 1973
Senate begins
investigation
July 1973 Taping
in White House
made public
January 1974 House
Judiciary Committee
begins impeachment
hearings
July 1974 Judiciary
Committee votes to
impeach Nixon
August 1974 Nixon
resigns
• Why did Nixon want a big win in
the 1972 election?
• What kinds of illegal activities was Nixon
involved with in the Watergate scandal?
• What was the outcome of the
Watergate scandal?
Forming and Supporting Opinions
What do you think would have happened
if President Nixon had apologized for Watergate
rather than trying to cover it up?
Think About
• when the break-in occurred
• how the nation reacted to past scandals
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Main Idea
Presidents Ford and Carter had
a difficult time solving the nation’s
problems after Watergate.
Why It Matters Now
These problems helped lead to a
conservative mood in the United States.
What were the high and low points of the
Ford and Carter presidencies?
PRESIDENCY
HIGHS
LOWS
Gerald Ford
succession to presidency;
negotiation of Helsinki
Accords
pardon of Nixon,
failure of WIN program,
loss in 1976
Jimmy Carter
election as president;
negotiation of Panama
Canal, Treaties and Camp
David Accords
clashes with Congress,
Iran hostage crisis,
loss in 1980
• Why did Carter win the 1976
election over Ford?
• What were some problems related to energy
use that occurred during Carter’s term?
• What progress did the environmental
movement make during the 1960s and
the 1970s?
Comparing
How would you compare the strengths
and weaknesses of Ford and Carter? Use events
from their presidencies to support your answer.
Think About
• actions each took to draw Americans together
• response to economic and foreign policy issues
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REVIEW QUESTIONS
ANSWERS: READ AND TAKE NOTES
1 What kinds of government programs did Nixon propose
to deal with America’s social problems?
2 How did Nixon try to promote “law and order”?
3 What were the economic problems Nixon faced?
4 How was Nixon’s foreign policy toward China
different from that of previous presidents?
5 What were the chief causes of the Watergate scandal?
6 What did reporters and others find when they looked
deeply into the Watergate burglary?
7 What were the events that caused Nixon to resign?
8 What were the main reasons people did not vote for
Gerald Ford in the 1976 election?
9 What successes did Carter have with foreign policy
and what problems did he have at home?
10 What appealed to voters about Ronald Reagan in the
1980 election?
Taking Notes
PRESIDENT
Richard
Nixon
ISSUES AND EVENTS
elected with conservative support; cuts Great Society programs; supports
revenue sharing; promises to end social unrest; fights inflation,
unemployment, recession, and energy crisis; eases Cold War tension
with China and Soviet Union; involved in Watergate scandal; resigns
Gerald Ford
appointed vice-president; succeeds Nixon as president; pardons Nixon;
popularity drops; tries to fight inflation with voluntary WIN program;
negotiates Helsinki Accords; defeated by Jimmy Carter
Jimmy
Carter
defeats Ford in 1976 election; promises honesty in government and
support for human rights; clashes with Congress; faces energy crisis,
inflation, and unemployment; negotiates Panama Canal Treaties and
Camp David Accords; supports environmental movement; Iran hostage
crisis partly responsible for his defeat in 1980 by Ronald Reagan
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