1970’s and 80’s
Team US History
Notes #1
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US10A: Describe Richard M. Nixon’s leadership in the
normalization of relations with China and the policy of
détente
US14B: Identify the roles of governmental entities and
private citizens in managing the environment such as the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Endangered
Species Act
US19C: Describe the effects of political scandals, Watergate,
on the views of U.S. citizens concerning trust in the federal
government and its leaders
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Richard Nixon won the presidency in
1968
While in office, he made strides
toward easing Cold War tensions
He also saw many of his domestic
policies enacted
However, scandal would eventual
force him to resign in disgrace in 1974
The Rise and Fall of Nixon
Nixon reached out to conservatives with a plan, called “New
Federalism” to reduce the size and power of the federal
government
 The centerpiece to New Federalism called revenue sharing
where the government distributes tax revenues to states to
spend as they saw fit
 Nixon also increased the size and power of the government
with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to
“protect human health and safeguard the national
environment”
 The Family Assistance Plan also supported poor families with
a minimum annual income
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Nixon’s Domestic Policies
Energy and the Environment
• Endangered Species Act (1973) requires the Fish and
Wildlife Service to list species of plants and animals that are
threatened with extinction, take further steps to protect them
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Nixon struggled with a recession. Normally, during
a recession, unemployment rises, wages, drop, and
consumers spend less money.
However, Nixon experienced “staglation”.
Unemployment rose, joblessness fell. Nixon replaced
strict wage and price controls with voluntary
guidelines. Unfortunately, the nation suffered a
rapid rise in the cost of living
To make matters worse, there was also an energy
crisis. In 1973, oil-exporting nations in the Middle
East (OPEC) stopped shipping oil to protest US
support for Israel
The ban would be lifted the following year.
Nixon’s Stagnant Economy
Nixon and the Policy of Détente
Nixon based his foreign policy on realpolitik (“The politics
of reality”)
 Beginning as early as 1969, President Nixon had begun a
“cooling off” policy toward China and the Soviet Union
nicknamed détente (French for relaxation).
 Nixon looked to find a balance of power between the US,
Japan, China, and Russia and to improve relations with
China and Russia, Nixon visited both countries in 1972.
 The US and the Soviet Union also began talks to attempt
armament control; specifically anti-ballistic missiles which
served to defend against nuclear war, but whose use was
enticing both nations to produce more warheads (SALTStrategic Arms Limitation Talks)
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U.S. President Richard
Nixon shakes hands with
Chinese Communist
leader Mao Zedong in
February 1972 on Nixon's
historic visit to China.
“This was the week that
changed the world,….to
build a bridge across
16,000 miles and 22 years
of hostilities which have
divided us in the past. And
what we have said today is
that we shall build that
bridge”
Richard Nixon
The Watergate Scandal
 On June 17, 1972, five men broke into offices of the
Democratic National Committee
 Their actions were part of a larger pattern of abuse of
presidential power
 The break-in at Watergate may have been forgotten if
not for Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein
 In July 1972, the Senate Watergate Committee issued a
subpoena to turn over tapes
 Nixon’s refused, invoking executive privilege
 In July 1974, United States v Nixon ruled that Nixon
must release the tapes and proved beyond a doubt that
Nixon ordered a Watergate cover-up
 Nixon resigned on August 8, 1974
Nixon Resigns
• After Nixon resigns, Vice President Gerald Ford
was sworn in as President and as one of his first
actions gave a full pardon to Nixon—Ford
asserted that a trial would hurt the credibility of
the government
Despite Ford’s efforts to close this unhappy chapter
of presidential history, the nation remained deeply
disillusioned with political leadership.
Notes #2
- Identify the major characteristics of the
1970’s and 1980’s (US2A)
- Describe US involvement in the Middle
East (US10D)
The Election of 1976
• In 1976 President Gerald Ford narrowly won the
Republican nomination for President over
California governor Ronald Reagan.
• The Democratic Party chose Jimmy Carter a
former Georgia governor as their candidate.
• Carter ran under the platform of bringing honesty
and integrity back to the white house
• Carter narrowly defeated Ford, 297 electoral
votes to 240 electoral votes.
Carter’s Domestic Policy
• One of Carter’s first actions as President was to pardon
all men who had evaded the draft
• Economically Carter cut taxes but had difficulty
controlling inflation and by the summer of 1980 the US
was in a recession
• Carter also had battles with energy and in 1977
Congress created the Department of Energy, increased
the use of nuclear energy and asked people to set their
thermostat to 65 degrees and only drive 55 m.p.h
• Under Carter the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977
encouraged banks to reduce discriminatory practices
toward loans in low income neighborhoods.
Carter’s Foreign Policy
• In his foreign policy Carter focused on securing human
rights around the world. – “promoting justice, equality, and
human rights”
• In December of 1979 the Soviet Union invaded
Afghanistan, President Carter cut sales to the USSR and led
an American boycott of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow
• The Panama Canal Treaty (1977): returned control of all the
Canal Zone, except for the canal itself, to Panama
• Camp David Accords (1977): Carter invited Anwar Sadat
(President of Egypt) and Menachem Begin (Prime Minister
of Israel) to Camp David in Maryland, Israel agreed to
return the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt, while Egypt offered a
peace treaty and the establishment of normal diplomatic
relations with Israel
Camp David Accords
•
President Carter, Menachem
Begin of Israel, and Anwar elSadat of Egypt celebrate the
signing of the Camp David
Accords. The agreement marked
a high point in Carter’s efforts to
bring peace to the Middle East
•
The Camp David Accords ended
hostilities between Egypt and
Israel. Israel agreed to return the
Sinai Peninsula to Egypt over
the course of four years. In
exchange, Egypt agreed to
recognize Israel’s right to exist.
The Death of Détente
- Both presidents Nixon and Ford has pursued a policy of
détente toward the U.S.S.R.
- In contrast, Carter openly criticized the Soviet Union’s
human rights record
- SALT II, “Peace will not be assured until the weapons of
war are finally put away”
- Any remnants of détente vanished in 1979 when Soviet
troops marched into Afghanistan
- The U.S.S.R. invaded this neighbor to help its failing
communist government handle a rebellion
- Carter responded by promoting a boycott of the Olympic
Games that would be held in Moscow the following
summer
The Iranian Revolution and
Hostage Crisis: “Death to Carter!”
• Shah Pahlavi of Iran was an ally with the U.S. but also a dictator
who used brutal measures
• After protests in 1978, he would flee the country in early 1979
• Ayatollah Khomeini and other Shiite Muslim religious leaders took
control declared it a republic-strict principles
• October 1979, the Shah entered the U.S. for medical treatment and
students seized the staff of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran
(Nov,79) took 66-mission killed 8 Am-4 helicopters attempt
• Captors of the hostages wanted him returned
• Hostages wouldn’t be released until Carter left office 444 days
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7RaUQqP_E8 doc
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0Xe0gypvPU speech
Protecting the Environment
• April 22, 1970, Americans celebrated the first Earth Day
• The Clean Water Act of 1972 limited the amount of
sewage and other pollutants flowing into waterways and
the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 allowed the EPA to
regulate the quality of public drinking water
• On March 28th, 1979, a nuclear power plant at
Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island left radioactive gases
into the atmosphere and convinced many Americans that
nuclear power plants posted a risk
Notes #3
• Describe Ronald Reagan’s leadership in
domestic and international policies,
including Reaganomics and Peace
through Strength (US10B)
• Describe significant societal issues of this
time period (US10F)
• Evaluate the contributions of significant
political and social leaders in the United
States (US24B)
The Equal Rights Amendment
(ERA)
• In 1923, Alice Paul, a suffragist
leader and founder of the
National Women’s Party,
proposed the Equal Rights
Amendment:
– “Equality of rights under the law
shall not be denied or abridged
by the US or by any state on
account of sex”
• In 1972, the amendment finally
approved by Congress, it would
fail ratification by three states
and introduced every year, ever
since
Phyllis Schlafly
• Phyllis Schlafly is an
outspoken critic of the
Women’s Liberation
Movement
– “This would further deprive
women of the right to be
supported and protected by
men”
• In other words, it may lead to
unisex restrooms and require
women to serve in combat roles
American Life in the 1970’s & 80’s
• Disco dance music was popular in the 70’s and fashion and
movies embraced the disco culture; just 15% of families fit
the traditional roles of working father, stay-at-home mother.
• In 1976 Steven Jobs and Stephen Wozniak founded Apple
and built the first personal computer in their garage
• In 1982 Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
was officially recognized by the Center for Disease Control
and its prevention and treatment became an essential health
issue around the world.
• Billy Graham became known as “America’s Pastor” and
advised several US Presidents as well an estimated 2.2
billion people through television and radio broadcasts.
Problems for Carter
• President Carter’s inability to find solutions to the nation’s
economic problems caused his approval rating to drop to
31% by 1980.
• The American public also lost faith in Carter after 66
American Embassy workers in Iran were taken hostage in
November of 1979.
• The Ayatollah Khomeini used the hostages to demand the
US release the former Iranian ruler—who Carter had
allowed into the US
• After a failed rescue mission, 444 days went by before the
release of the hostages
Election of 1980
• Former Actor and Radio broadcaster Ronald Reagan had
become Governor of California in 1970 and was a fast
rising star within the Republican Party.
• Reagan promised voters that he would “make America
strong again” and he and his running mate George Bush
(SR) used the Iranian hostage crisis to their advantage.
• In a political landslide, Reagan defeated Carter 489 electoral
votes to just 49 for Carter, even some Democrats crossed
party lines to vote for Reagan.
• Republicans also took control of the Senate for the first time
since 1952 which gave Reagan a powerful position with
which to press forward new legislation.
Reagan Democrats & the New Right
• In the 1960’s Republicans had rallied around Barry
Goldwater's idea of a New Conservatism and in the 80’s the
resurgence of this movement was known as the New Right.
• The New Right supported political goals of school prayer,
strong defense, free-market economics, anti-abortion and
anti-gun control.
• President Reagan—himself a former Democrat—was
popular with the New Right but also had cross party appeal
with many older democrats.
• The Republican and Conservative “New Right” would
dominate American politics throughout the 1980’s.
Reaganomics
• President Reagan entered the white house with a plan in
place to reduce the size and influence of the federal
government.
• Another part of Reaganomics was the belief that if taxes
were reduced for the rich, then the benefits would trickle
down to everyone
• Supporters of supply-side economics felt that when the
government cuts taxes that consumers will spend the extra
money to help the economy
• Others felt Reaganomics was simply a program to keep
American wealth in the hands of those already wealthy.
Notes #4
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Describe US involvement in the Middle East
such as the Iran Contra Affair (US10D)
Describe significant societal issues of this time
period (US10F)
Understand the impact of technological and
management innovations (US27C)
Analyze how scientific discoveries improve the
standard of living (US28A)
Reagan and the Cold War
• The Reagan administration took a hard line against
Communism, extending military spending by $100 billion
and calling Russia the “evil empire”
• Reagan proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative, dubbed
“Star Wars”; SDI was a space based missile defense system.
• Although SDI never became reality, increased money to
NASA benefitted society with advances in GPS and cellular
technology, scratch resistant glass and cordless tools.
• Hostility continued in 1983 as a Soviet missile shot down a
Korean airliner and in 1984 when the Russians boycotted
the Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
Click for Sound
- The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was nicknamed “Star Wars” by critics,
saying that it was fictional and popular science
- Congressional members knew that to create it would mean enormous costs
- To further undermine the Soviet Union, Reagan created the “Reagan Doctrine”
- The Reagan Doctrine called for the United States to openly support
anticommunist insurgents and movements around the world. The U.S. provided
aid to rebels fighting Soviet-backed governments in Asia, Africa, and Latin
American. Reagan called these groups, “freedom fighters”
Technology
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Innovation in manufacturing and machinery (robotics)
led to more output and high numbers of unskilled
laborers
Time and motion study analysis (Scientific
management) influenced an increase in productivity
and a decrease in skilled labor
Computer management aided business in managing
increased flow and availability of information, as well
as making connections between events to become
better
Just-in-time inventory management allowed
businesses to reduce cost, become more flexible, and
better meet consumer demands
The Election of 1984 and the Supreme Court
• President Reagan’s approval rating shot up in 1983 after a
successful military operation in the small Caribbean island
of Grenada.
• Running against Reagan would be former vice president
Walter Mondale and the first woman to run for a major
party, Geraldine Ferraro
• Although Ferraro gained some support for the Democrats,
Republican women countered with strong support of
Reagan and he won easily with 525 electoral votes.
• As President Ronald Reagan would appoint 3 supreme court
justices including the first female Sandra Day O’Conner
The Iran Contra Affair
• The most serious crisis to hit the Reagan White House was the Iran
Contra Affair (1986)
• The US had been funding the Contras--a rebel group that had been
battling for power of Nicaragua, but Congress cut the money (Reagan
Doctrine)
• To gain the funds needed to continue the fight the white house sold
500 antitank missiles to Iran without the approval of Congress.
• Between 1984 and 1985, Several Americans were kidnapped in
Lebanon
• 1985-1986, in exchange for help in securing the release of the
hostages, the Reagan administration sells missiles to Iran
• 1986, Reagan administration officials send millions of dollars from
the Iran arms deal to Contras in Nicaragua
• Although Reagan himself was cleared of any wrongdoing, Colonel
Oliver North was convicted of lying to Congress and the public lost
some trust in the Reagan administration.
Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North testified before Congress in the Iran-Contra
Affair. A decorated Vietnam veteran, North ran the covert operation that
funneled millions of dollars to the Contras. North defended his actions and
claimed that he was following orders. Some Americans hailed him as a patriot,
while others called him a criminal.
1988 Election
• In the 1988 Presidential election African American leader
Jesse Jackson was narrowly defeated by Michael Dukakis
for the Democratic party nomination.
• Since Reagan could not run again, his Vice-President
George Bush gained the Republican nomination.
• Republicans portrayed Dukakis as weak on crime and
environmental issues, and Bush easily defeated Dukakis.
• One of Bush’s most successful phrases used in many of his
1988 campaign speeches was the emphatic quote “read my
lips, no new taxes”; which was a promise that he was unable
to keep and would later become a strong element to Bill
Clinton’s 1992 campaign against Bush.
Societal Issues
• Health Issues: Aids epidemic spread
rapidly around the world and concern over
prevention and cure intensified
• Education: A national push to improve
skills in basic subjects and increased pay
of teachers
• War on Drugs: The use and trade of illegal
drugs increased dramatically. National
campaigns started and a push for harsher
punishment