The 70’s and 80’s Presentation
The 70’s
An Age of Limits
The Nixon Administration
 Richard M. Nixon- entered office in 1969
and focused on a more conservative
America
 New Federalism- Nixon’s idea to reduce the size and power
of the federal government
 Revenue 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 Government
 Increased Social Security
 Enlarged the Food Stamp Program
 Occupational Safety and Health Administration- protecting
workers on the job
 Environmental Protection Agency-protect human health and
the environment
Nixon Administration
 Family 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 War
 Realpolitik- “political realism” meaning foreign policy should be based
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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 by
Nixon 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 advisors
 K.R. Haldeman-White House Chief of Staff
John Erilchman- Chief Domestic adviser
 John Mitchell- Attorney General
 John W Dean III- Presidential Council
Story and Coverup
 On 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
 BobWoodward 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 Scandal
 Nixon, 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.
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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 vicepresident 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.”
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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.
FORD
 Gerald 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.
Carter
 Jimmy 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 Canal
 US 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 Accords
 Camp 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 Crisis
 Ayatollah 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 Activism
 Rachel 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
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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 ISLAND
h
 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=XLiqvZOP8T
Y
Gulf Spill
Women Fight for Equality
 Male Chauvinist- person who believed men are superior to
women
 Female 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- 1971
 Video 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) 1974
 Test-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 invented
 VCR- allowed people to record TV shows and watch them later
 Movie rentals increased
Baby Bust and Retirement Boom
 US population was getting older
 Birth Dearth- families decreased and there was a lack of births
 People living longer- life expectancy 74 yrs
 Retirement- fun, travel, and relocation
 Rustbelt formed- rusting factories and declining industries of
the North because of the Sunbelt
1980’s: Ronald Reagan
The Reagan Revolution
1980-1988
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.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Bj6aOgf
cJU&feature=PlayList&p=1F598750308BE6AE
&index=0&playnext=1
Conservative Coalition
 Reagan 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, profamily, pro-moral, and pro-America”
 New Right- Political Movement which focused on
conservative causes
Reagan’s Plan
 Reducing the size of the Federal government
 Lowering government spending
 promoting traditional morality and values
 stimulating business by reducing government
regulations and lowering taxes
 strengthening 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 Reaganomics
 1982 -initially high interest rates caused a severe recession
 1986 – inflation dropped to 4% (1980 = 14%)
 GNP increased by 10%
 Unemployment declined
 Stock 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 transit
 food stamps
 welfare benefits
 job training
 Medicaid
 school lunches
 student loans
Social Concerns of the 1980’s
 Health 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…
 Education
 A 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 vWade 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 Initiativecreated a missile shield to protect
the US from a nuclear attack by
“knocking down incoming missiles
Battling Communism in Central
America and the Caribbean
 Reagan 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 Scandal
 In 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=847604256610803
9966&hl=en
Foreign Policy and the Cold War
 Mikhail Gorbachev- 1985 Soviet Union
leader
 Glasnost- (openness) allowed for Soviet
Government to have freedom of the Press
 Perestroika- Government having less control
 INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces) treatyeliminated 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