The Decline of the Liberal State
NIXON
(1969 - 1974)
I. NIXON DOMESTIC POLICY
A. Style - New Federalism and the Imperial Presidency
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1. What do we know about Nixon?
o 1. House Un-American Activities Committee
o 2. VP - Ike
o 3. lost race for governor of California
2. Believed Congress could run domestic policy without a President
o a. Distrusted Democratic Congress and wanted POWER concentrated in the
Presidency
o b. OR handed over to the states
3. The New Nixon - stress Silent Majority support
o a. not as confrontational as earlier
o b. bring us together - actually an attempt to win the moderates away from liberal
Democrats
4. distrusted everyone - media, own party
o a. bitter, hurt, sensitive to criticism
o b. scars - tough veneer - a loner - tried to rule alone - remote from Congress isolated
o c. paranoia led to wiretapping, surveillance
o d. Power handed over to White House Staff which required no Senate approval
 1. H.R. Haldeman - Chief of Staff
 2. John Ehrlichman - Chief of Domestic Policy
 3. limited access as Sherman Adams had under Ike that too led to
corruption
o e. secrecy led to abuse of exec privilege, spending policies and campaign money
o f. Congress reaction
 1. increase checks and balances
 2. congress block SST and def. spending
5. A Conservative Republican - difficulty with Democratic Congress
o could not get his policies passed anyway
o a. Ike's style of accommodation - accept Great Society
o b. while attempting to improve efficiency through laissez-faire and states'
rights
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6. Goals conflicted
o a. New Federalism - laissez-faire Republican philosophy stressing
 a balanced budget through reduced government spending and states'
rights
 Efficiency - reduced government spending
o b. Imperial Presidency - increase Presidential POWER
 and build a Republican Majority to maintain control of it
B. The Economy (show chart)
1. Conditions - inflation caused by Vietnam
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a. LBJ paid for war by printing $ and debt instead of taxes
b. Goal - "Peace with Prosperity"
c. Results - mixed success
2. Nixonomics or Gradualism (1969-70)
3. Milton Friedman Chicago economist - Republican model
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a. Social programs of the Great Society + the Vietnam War hurt the
federal budget
b. food prices increased worldwide due to crop failures worldwide (supply
side shock)
c. increase taxes through tax reform - 1969
d. cut spending/tighten $ supply to control prices
e. Results - Stagflation - high unemployment and inflation at the same
time - impossible
o 1. prices up
o 2. salaries down
o 3. standard of living down worst decline since 1900
o 4. led to high unemployment - recession
o 5. cities hurt
o 6. home mortgages difficult
o 7. factories closed
o 8. Penn-Central RR - worst bankruptcy in history
 a. 1970 - Amtrak - bailout
 b. Congress approved
 c. Nixon did not have the votes to stop it so he signed
e. 1970 Economic Stabilization Act
o 1. Congress gave Pres. power to impose price and wage controls
o 2. President opposed govt. interference...yet...
4. The Great Nixon Turnaround - 3 phase plan
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a.Nixon switched to Keynes philosophy $23.2 billion budget - largest
ever to that point
b. Phase 1 - 8/71
o 1. 90 day wage and price freeze and aid to businesses
o 2. lower taxes
o 3. lower interest rates to increase spending
o 4. public reaction
 a. business and consumers supported
 b. unions opposed - George Meany
o 5. Results
 a. lower inflation rate
 b. 1971 - 1st trade deficit in 80 years
 1. New Sec. of Treasury - John Connally (D)
devalued dollar
 2. raised tariffs
 3. gold crisis - 8/71 - 35$/ounce
 Gold standard ended aid for purchasing
power of US goods
 c. inner city unemployment not helped
c. Phase 2 - 11/71
o 1. creates wage and price controls limiting prices, rents, and
salary increases
o 2. Cost of Living Council and Price Commission
 created to set controls and guidelines
o 3. Results - stagflation slowed inflation and unemployment down
o 4. Goal
 2-5% - inflation
 6% - unemployment
o 5. Problems
 3/72 - AFL-CIO strike
o 6. Reelection led Nixon to return to Republican approach
d. Phase 3 - 1/73
o a. price and wage controls abolished
o b. voluntary controls established - did not work
o c. Stagflation returns
 1973-1974 Oil Crisis (supply side shock)
 inflation at worst level since Truman - 10%
C. New Federalism - decentralizing the power of the national govt.
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give responsibility to state/local govt.
1. Dismantling the Great Society
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a. wanted to cut federal spending especially for social welfare
b. had difficulty due to Democratic Congress
c. Proposed cuts:
 1. education and special ed
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 2. job training
 3. low-cost housing projects
 4. urban renewal
 5. day care support for working mothers
 6. veto HEW spending as inflationary - govt. workers upset
 7. Job Corps cut in 1/2
d. OMB superagencies - consolidate to save money
e. proposed cuts in over 100 programs after reelection in 1972
f. at the same time he proposed increases on military spending
2. Revenue Sharing - 10/72 - $30.2 billion in aid - Over 5 years
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a. reduce federal involvement
 federal revenue - state administered increasing local responsibility
b. New Federalism cornerstone
 (Ronald Reagan - decentralize without any Federal funds)
c. public works - vetoed as unnecessary and wasteful
d. Tricky Dick - states will not be able to handle the expense
 1. Either they will raise taxes to pay and they (not Nixon) will be blamed
 2. or they will cut the programs and Nixon will be able to claim that he
did not actually dismantle the Great Society himself
D. Accommodation
1. Goals and Methods
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a. power of purse - refusing to spend
b. keep everyone happy and win reelection
2. Environment - Congressional proposal signed by Nixon
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a. Rachel Carson - Silent Spring - 1962
o raised the issue of pesticide use
o industries use of new chemicals without understanding the impact
first
b. National Environmental Policy Act - 1969
c. cigarette ad ban
d. April 1970 - first Earth Day
o nationwide cleanup
o rallies and demonstrations
o Sierra Club concern for development of wild
o result - water/air pollution acts in 1970 strengthened acts
passed under LBJ
e. EPA - created 1970 - cornerstone of enforcement
o 1. liberals forced him to sign
made a big production out of supporting something he
actually opposed
o 2. William Ruckelshaus - appointed head of EPA
 the man Nixon chose to run the EPA did not even support
it
o 3. dozens of suits - only filed when public outcry demanded
f. Don't enforce - refused to spend money given by Congress
g. The Closing Circle - 1971 - Barry Commoner
o found evidence that pollution was rising 10x faster than either
 the population or
 the economy
o Major sources of pollution
 new products
 new methods of production
 packaging that didn't deteriorate over time
 throw away society
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3a. OSHA(1970) Occupational Safety and Health
Administration
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1. Inspect and maintain safe conditions in the workplace
2. Benign Neglect
3b. Ralph Nadar -Consumer Protection Safety Act -test and
suits
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1. Unsafe At Any Speed - targeted the auto industry
2. Nadar's example led hundreds to take up public interest law
3. ran under the Green Party label for President in 1996
4. Nixon refused to spend money given by Congress - don't enforce appear to support
4. Family Assistance Plan - Welfare change
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written by Daniel Moynihan (D) - head of Council on Urban Affairs
a. consolidated aid instead of piecemeal
o family of 4 - $1600/ yr.+ $860 food stamps - unemployed
b. Working poor could get welfare till total = $3920 if capable then
required to work
o Both 1 + 2 were desired by liberals
c. would have been a big increase for the South
d. give responsibility to state - desired by conservatives
e. (House - yes / Senate - no) conservatives and liberals opposed it
5. Support given to programs with public support even if liberal
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a. soc sec benefits increased so did social security taxes
b. low income housing increased
c. minimum wage went up
6. 26th Amendment - lowered voting age to 18
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a. ratified 6/71
b. 25 million new voters
c. attempt to gain new Republican voters failed to take into account
Vietnam
III. Efficiency
E. Building a Republican Majority
1. Southern Strategy - must win southern votes to stay
President
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a. cater to Southern interests without losing Northern vote
b. Agnew role in the Southern Strategy was to
o attack liberals, commies, and hippies
o while defending traditional American values
c. Nixon focused on social tension and violence created by
o civil rights protesters
o Vietnam war protesters
o the women's movement
o (based on poll of key issues in the South)
d. areas to criticize liberals especially the Supreme Court, while doing
little himself
e. blamed liberals, drug using hippies and commies for
o the decline in patriotism, traditional values and the American
family
o as well as the rising crime rate
2. Supreme Court - key evil
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a. Criticized the Warren Ct. as too liberal towards criminals and in civil
rights
b. 1969 appointed Warren Burger as chief justice
o attempted to make the court conservative
c. goal - strict interpretation of the Constitution
o 1. Haynesworth and Carswell rejected as too racist among other
issues
 looked good to white southerners
o 2. Blackmun, Powell, and William Rehnquist also appointed
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d. Succeeded in making the court more conservative while winning
Southern support
e. Court does not become truly conservative until R. Reagan
3. Civil Rights Goal - win South through benign neglect
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a. accused Supreme Court of being too liberal and overreacting to
segregation
b. Secretary of HEW - Robert Finch
o was withholding funds when token integration existed as in
Mississippi
o 1968 - South - 80% of blacks still attended all black schools
o 1969 - Nixon refused to withhold funds in an attempt to win
white southern support
 Robert Finch resigned
 10/69 Alexander v. Holmes - forced Miss. to integrate
 Nixon lost
 still helped his image with some southern whites
 they figured he at least tried
c. 1970 - Voting Rights Act of 1965 - renewal vetoed / overridden
o said problem no longer existed
d. 1970 - US Commission on Civil Rights reports major breakdown in
enforcement
e. US Sup Ct. - Swann v. Charlotte - 1971 - forced busing - Nixon
opposed lost
o 1. North and South protested
o 2. busing required if necessary for integration
 Nixon defined "if" as never
o 3. Nixon blocked enforcement
 handed the problem to Congress who delayed till after
election - hot
o 4. Congress agreed with Nixon - liberal filibuster killed law to
block busing
o 5. thus leaving it to the Courts who have no ability to enforce
their decisions
o 6. 9/74 - violence in Boston and across the North
o 7. Miligan v. Bradley - busing inner city to suburbs not mandatory
 partial victory for Nixon
f. Results
o halt the gains of the civil rights movement
o begin to slowly erode gains of the 60s
o Some gains still made despite Nixon
o 1972 - South - 20% of blacks attended all black schools
o federal employment of blacks increased
o construction jobs to minorities increased
4. Law and Order and Crime
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a. Nixon declared war on the supreme court for being soft on criminals
b. Warren Court - Nixon defines the problem
o 1. Gideon v. Wainwright - 1963 - right to lawyer during trial
o 2. Escobido v. Illinois - 1964 - right to lawyer during questioning
(murder)
o 3. Miranda v. Arizona - 1966 - right to have rights read (rape)
o 4. Furman v. Georgia - 1972 - death penalty
 600- prisoners overturned
 cruel and unusual punishment as applied (unevenly) was
unconstitutional
 this decision came even after Nixon changes court
c. Omnibus Crime Bill - 1970
o 1. $1 billion to fight crime
o 2. fastest growing part of govt.
o 3. new laws - drugs, anti-organized crime, preventive detention
 increase in wiretaps for search warrant situations
o 4. Result - failure - crime rate increased
d. two cases showed conservative influence of Nixon on court
o 1. 1972 sup ct unanimous decision only req. in fed cases except
death penalty
o 2. Gregg v. Georgia - 1976
 stated that death penalty itself was acceptable
 two stage (conviction / punishment) trial approved
bringing
 back the death penalty
5. Family and Patriotism
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a. Prayer, Patriotism and the family popular issues in south
b. Engel v. Vitale - 1962 - compulsory prayer in schools
o 1. Nixon supported prayer in schools quietly
o 2. promoted patriotism - flag pins etc
 while opposing court decisions which supported symbolic
speech
c. Nixon opposed NOW and its goals as a threat to the traditional family
structure
6. Nixon's Appeal to Middle America
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a. Disturbed by the attitudes of young people
o believed the antiwar protests
o and the ideals of the counterculture posed a threat to society
b. sought support of the Silent Majority
o most came from the middle class
o Agnew led the cheerleading for this group
F. Miscellaneous Culture - I have this material covered in detail in the civil
rights material it is here for my on-level students
1. Indian Movement
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a. Most deprived minority
o unemployment rate 10x the national average
o life expectancy low
o suicide rate 100x normal
o alcoholism rate high
b. 1953 Termination Policy (Ike/Nixon)
o cut federal aid to Indian reservations
 designed to make them more self-sufficient
 forced them into the inner city slums (1/3 - 1961)
o confiscated valuable Indian lands
c. 1969 - Alcatraz occupied
o Indians turned to militant protests
o protest government seisure of Indian lands and other issues
d. 1970 - AIM - American Indian Movement
o organized by young urban Indians
o demanded a role in forming federal Indian Policy
 argued that the Bureau of Indian Affairs created
dependency
o organized protests - using tactics of the civil rights movement
o especially the black power movement (Red Power)
e. Wounded Knee, South Dakota taken over
o standoff with police gained national attention - little support
o Sioux Reservation
f. Lawsuits - won huge settlements against the government
o land returned in some cases
o reparations paid in others - cases continue today
g. Nixon canceled the termination policy of the 1950's
o which had aimed at forcing the Indians to assimilate
o Make Nixon appear more moderate
2. The Hispanic Movement
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a. fastest growing minority group in the 1970s
b. most are of Mexican descent
c. Hispanice Movement strongest in the barrios
d. Cesar Chavez - 1962 - United Farm Workers (1973)
e. Chicano Renaissance - art, music, literature
f. La Raza Unida - 1970 - new political party
3. Youth in the 1960s
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baby boomers - grew up in the prosperous 50s
o not worried about jobs
o security gave them the freedom to search for alternate
lifestyles
challenged the dominant values of the 1950s
o money
o status
o power
o criticized their parents for
 war
 poverty
 racism
New Left Historians
o reflect cynicism of the baby boomer generation
o blamed us for the Cold War
o questioned the use of the Bomb by Truman
Rock and Roll music played a key role in the protest
4. The Counterculture
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Counterculture - a culture with values opposed to those of the
established culture
o love and freedom
o dress - long hair, minshirts, bell bottoms, love beads, peace
symbols, etc.
o Woodstock - 1969 - 500,000 - Rock concert
o Dropping Out
o Drugs
II. NIXON FOREIGN POLICY
A. BACKGROUND - PHILOSOPHY - GOALS
1. How would we expect him to run his foreign policy?
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a. William P. Rogers - Sec. of State (1969-1973) an administrator
b. Henry Kissinger
o 1. National Security Advisor (1969-1973)
o 2. Sec. of State (1973-1977)
 a. Nazi Germany escapee
 b. Harvard Professor - hero - Prince Metternich - balance
of power
 c. Containment was out of date
 Since world has more than two superpowers
 Hoped that the five centers of power could
maintain the balance
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1. Japan
2. Western Europe
3. China
4.USSR
5. US
2. Philosophy
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a. Realpolitik
o a. practicality, reality, what benefits the US the most?
 base decisions sole on issues of power
o b. ignore ideology, morality, anti-communism
b. Machiavelli - the end justifies the means
o How does Vietnam fit as an example of this?
c. Critics - leading critic - Ronald Reagan
o a. called for Kissinger's resignation - selling US out
o b. Liberal critics pointed to lack of morality
3. Goals - foreign policy would make him great President
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a. Reverse militant anti-communism
b. Military preparedness combined with reduced risk of nuclear war
c. Limit nuclear arms
d. Ease tensions - China and the USSR
e. Reduce global commitments - save money avoid another Vietnam
B. China - Rapprochement
1. Background
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a. 1949 - Mao Zedong - Chairman - People's Republic of China
o Chiang Kai-shek - Taiwan - Nationalist China
b. US recognition of Chiang as ruler despite dictatorship and corruption
c. Taiwan in UN - PRC does not exist - no American had been there since
d. 1969 - Border war - USSR vs. China - pushed China toward US
o 1. Fear of monolithic communism had faded
 China and Russia began to compete with each other
o 2. PRC - 1 billion population = largest market in the world = 1/4 of
world total
o 3. China was a nuclear power in its own right
e. Critics - Ronald Reagan
o 1. PRC = illegal, undemocratic, immoral
o 2. to change policy betrays Chiang
o (evil sellout deserving impeachment)
2. Policy
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a. 1969 - relaxed embargo on imported goods from China
b. 4/71 - Ping Pong Diplomacy
o Kissinger and Premier Chou En-lai - secret meeting
c. 7/71 - Kissinger to China (secret)
o 1. discussed Vietnam
o 2. arranged Nixon trip
o 3. 10/71 - Secret agreement
 gradually withdraw US troops from Taiwan
 US dropped opposition to UN and China replaced Taiwan
d. 1971 - Export non-strategic goods begins with a signup, security check
and clearance
e. 2/72 - Nixon to China - 1st US President to go
o Image as Peacekeeper
Shanghai Communique - trade, scientific and cultural exchanges
o 1st company to go to China - Coca Cola
f. Early 1973 - Diplomatic relations established liaison offices
g. Taiwan still US ally, still in UN - unhappy
h. Counterbalance to USSR - play two sides against each other
C. USSR - Detente
1. Background
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a. reduction in tensions between superpowers
o 1. Outer Space Treaty - banned weapons and military bases in
space
o 2. 3/69 - Nuclear Non - Proliferation Treaty ratified (signed
7/68)
b. Apollo XI - 7/69
o 1. Total Cost - $25 Billion
o 2. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin - Eagle
o 3. critics - expensive - hurt domestic programs
o 4. 3200 new products - info acquired
o 5. Cold War victory
c. 7/69 - Nixon visited Romania 1st President to go behind the Iron
Curtain
d. Detente depended on arms negotiations - position of strength
o 1. ABM - $8 billion (US) - 2nd strike capability as a deterrent to
a 1st strike
o 2. 10/69 - passed by 1 vote
e. MIRV - (multiple independent reentry vehicle) tested secretly by both
countries
f. 2/72 - Reaction to improved Sino-American relations opened window of
opportunity
2. Salt I
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a. 4/70 - negotiations began in Helsinki, Finland
b. 5/72 - Moscow Summit- 2 accords signed by Brezhnev and Nixon
o 1. limit each nation to 2 (200 missiles) ABM sites verified by
satellites
o 2. 5 year freeze on the number of missiles regardless of location
 limited ICBMs not warheads
 it did not limit the development of nuclear weapons other
than missiles
 such as bombers
o 3. Ratified by the Senate - Who was "ahead"?
o 4. Symbolic first step
c. USSR and US hoped this would ease economic trouble which both were
experiencing
d. Instead a new and much more expensive arms race began
e. Image during an election year - Nixon the Peacekeeper
3. Moscow Summit - 5/72
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a. increased trade, science, culture, sold Russia corn and wheat
b. Pepsi 1st company in Russia
4. Washington Summit - 6/73
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a. relations continued to be friendly - Watergate slowed progress
D. Middle East
1. 6 Day War - 6/67 - LBJ - preemptive attack by Israel
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a. Israeli preemptive attack against Egypt, Syria, Jordan - quick victory gained territory
o 1. West Bank - Jordan
o 2. Gaza Strip - Egypt
o 3. Golan Heights - Syria
o 4. Sinai Peninsula - Egypt
b. PLO - Arafat - trained terrorists began attacks against Israel
o trained, equipped, and hidden by the Arab nations
c. Egypt aligned closer to USSR - advisors sent to Egypt
d. 1970 - Egyptian army feared Soviet takeover - Anwar el-Sadat
assassinated Nasser
e. 7/72 - Sadat dismissed Soviet advisers began to move closer to US
o (USSR - refused to give advanced weapons)
f. 8/73 - Egypt received $600 million in aid from Saudi Arabia
g. US relations improving in Middle East - surprise awaited
2. 10/73 - Yom Kippur War
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a. Egypt - Syria attack Israel by surprise seeking return of lost lands
b. Israel near defeat was saved by new shipments of US weapons - heavy
loses
c. Israel drove within 60 mi. of Cairo
d. Egypt turned to USSR - they threatened to send troops and we went
on alert
o USSR sent new weapons, however they were not as quick to
arrive as US aid
e. Hot Line used to avert confrontation - Detente tested and survived
o no cooperation occurred until we started winning
f. 1/74 - Cease - fire - Kissinger used Shuttle Diplomacy
o and USSR cooperation to bring in a UN peacekeeping force
g. 5/74 - troop withdrawal agreement
3. OPEC Oil Embargo 10/73 - 3/74
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a. Punished US for its support of Israel's refusal to return the occupied
territories
o Oil prices increased from $3/barrel to $12/barrel
b. US got 40% of its oil from OPEC - only 6% from Middle East
o (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries founded in 1960)
o in 1973 (they controlled 2/3 of the world's oil)
o Libyan leader - Muammar Qaddafi - "The time has come for us
to deal America a strong slap in its cool, arrogant face."
c. impact in US immediate
o caused long lines for gas - increased prices
o helped fuel double-digit inflation and trade imbalance
c. Energy Crisis occurred at home - Nixon took various actions - little
impact short-term
o 1. lower thermostat
o 2. speed limits - 55
o 3. car pools
o 4. Alaskan pipeline
o 5. loosened stripmining restrictions
o 6. suggested need for plan to achieve energy independence
o 7. daylight savings time
E. Realpolitik in Latin America and the Third World
1. 69 - Nelson Rockefeller visit to LA led to riot
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Vietnam had eroded aid and popularity
2. Chile and Containment
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1. 1970 - Salvador Allende - Socialist elected in Chile
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2. 1970 - Bolivia and Peru - nationalized US property
o Anaconda Copper
o ITT
3. 1973
o cut off all aid to Chile
o CIA sent $10 million to anti-Allende forces in the military
o CIA ordered destabilization of Chile
 strikes
 sabotage
 disorder
o CIA sponsored assassination of Allende
o replacement - Augusto Pinochet
 soon the most repressive dictator in LA
 (pro-US)
4. uncovered by Congress (CIA activities were illegal)
o led to Civilian Oversight Board to watch CIA
o investigation exposed our prior activities in Guatemala, Iran, Cuba
and elsewhere
o worldwide anti-American protests followed
3. Angola - 1974
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US supported violent civil war instead of peace to prevent spread of
communism
a. Portuguese colony since 1574
b. Civil war broke out in Feb. 1961 - guerrilla war aided by USSR
o 1. Portugal sent 80,000 troops
o 2. South Africa wanted a buffer from other African states
o 3. US was ignoring Africa while USSR was trying to dominate
c. 4/74 Portugal gave up Mozambique and Angola 11/74
o despite $436 million in US aid to maintain white rule
d. Angola had oil and diamonds - US wanted influence - domino theory
e. South Africa invaded - 10/74
f. Marxist guerrillas got Soviet aid and Cuban troops - balance of power
g. CIA sided with South Africa and their guerrilla allies
h. 1/76 - Congress cut off aid and South Africa withdrew
o the Marxists then won - compared to Vietnam
i. They eventually became neutral in the cold war dealing with both sides
WATERGATE
I. INTRODUCTION
A. represents the most serious political scandal in the history of the U.S.
B. Imperial Presidency
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this scandal involves Nixon's attempts to use the power of the President in an attempt
to bypass the Constitution in order to assure his own reelection in 1972
endangering the Constitution
o 1. checks and balances
o 2. democracy
C. Nixon was caught and forced to resign - Did he receive fair treatment?
II. PLUMBERS - background
A. 1960 Election
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1. JFK had aid infiltrate Nixon camp - close election - could have made a difference
2. Nixon views this and similar events by other Presidents as justification for his
behavior
3. Paranoia led him to be secretive towards the press
* B. LEAKS - caused the plumbers to be created
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1. 5/69 - Cambodian invasion leaked
2. Plumbers created to wiretap Nixon's own staff and newspapers
3. Huston Plan - increase US intelligence
o a. John Mitchell - atty gen
o b. H. Hoover - FBI
o c. CIA
4. 9/71 - Ellsberg leak of Pentagon Papers discovered by illegal breakin (Hunt and Liddy)
o public discovers during 1973 trial
5. Is this type of behavior by law enforcement officials legal? moral?
* C. DIRTY TRICKS - CREEP
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* 1. John Mitchell - former Attorney General
o CRP campaign manager
o brought plumbers with him - no longer working in law enforcement
o new atty gen - Kleindienst
2. H.R. Haldeman helped to plan and finance plumbers
o most powerful man in the White House after Nixon
o Money came from campaign donations to CRP ($60 million)
3. Nixon was trailing in the polls prior to 1972 - attempted to catchup using plumbers
* 4. Enemies List
o A list of 200 politicians, writers and others who had been critical of the Nixon
Admin.
 a. Kennedy
 b. Muskie Campaign crippled
 1. phony statements issues in his name - including racist
comments
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 2. false rumors about him in the press
 c. McGovern
o IRS conducted audits on them
o Undercover agents sought damaging information on them
o They were illegally wiretapped (so were some of Nixon's own employees)
5. Put together by Charles Colson and John Dean
6. The plumbers were given orders to harass this group - give examples
7. Is this type of behavior by private citizens moral? legal?
III. THE BURGLARY
* A. Committee to Reelect the President - CRP
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1. Break-in ordered by John Mitchell
* 2. Goal - Steal political strategy and bug the office
3. prevent a repeat of the 1960 election when JFK stole the election
4. Polls showed Nixon with a 19 point lead - did not need to cheat any longer - habit
formed
* 5. Location - 6th floor of the Watergate Building (Democratic National HQ) on June
17, 1972
* 6. Howard Hunt (CIA) and Gordon Liddy (FBI) arranged the break-in
7. May breakin failed
8. Security Guard - Frank Wills spotted taped door and called police
* 9. 5 intruders led by James McCord
o (CRP security chief - former CIA/FBI)
o had led the Bay of Pigs Invasion - 1961
Police found $2300, cameras, bugs and notebooks containing the name of Howard Hunt
with White House written beside it. They quickly established his link with Charles Colson
- link $
B. Nixon's role remains unclear today
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* 1. There is no evidence that Nixon knew of the break-in
2. Other Presidents had used similar tactics including JFK in the 1960 election
3. Democratic Party Chairman - Lawrence O'Brien filed a $1 million civil law suit
4. Watergate 7 identified - however no direct ties to the White House or CRP
discovered
5. Would exposure of dirty tricks, plumbers and Watergate ties to CRP have defeated
Nixon?
IV. COVER-UP
* A. Nixon decided that the press was out to get him therefore coverup
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the connection between the Watergate 7 and CRP till after the election
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1. Denial of connection - June 19, 1972 - Ron Ziegler - Press Secretary called it a 3rd
rate burglary
2. June 22, 1972 - Nixon denied that any of his staff was involved
3. June 23, 1972 - H.R. Haldeman, John Ehrlichman, Nixon met and planned the
coverup
o * Obstruction of Justice - Had the CIA interfere with the FBI investigation to
coverup the connection between the break-in and CRP claiming national security
threats
o Dean and Mitchell recommended (2 week delay in the investigation)
o * CRP paid $1/2 million in hush money to buy silence
o * These are crimes
4. July 1 - John Mitchell resigned as head of CRP citing personal reasons (Martha
Mitchell)
B. Coverup worked -everyone dropped the story except for the
Washington Post
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1. July 22 - Washington Post Reporters
o Robert Woodward
o Carl Bernstein
o released a story revealing the connection between the burglars, G. Gordon Liddy
and CRP
2. August 29 - Nixon announces that White House Counsel - John Dean had investigated
o concluded that there was no connection between the coverup and any current
employees of the White House
o "What really hurts is if you try to cover it up"
o John Dean had not investigated
3. Sept. - Watergate 7 indicted
4. October 10 - Washington Post announced that Watergate was part of a massive spying
campaign
and that a slush fund run by H.R. Haldeman had been created to keep the coverup quiet
Secret Source - Deep Throat
5. Late October - Henry Kissinger had announced that the end of the war was eminent
6. November - Nixon defeats McGovern 400+ to 17
* The election was unaffected by Watergate
George Wallace shot by Walter Bremmer in Md.
McGovern-Shriver (Eagleton withdrew)
7. While it was obvious that the Watergate 7 were involved in something big few
believed that Nixon was involved
8. Jan. '73 - Nixon 68% popularity - announces end of the war for U.S. troops
o V.P. Agnew attacks the press - President above criticism?
o Power of the President increases - Balance of Power?
V. INVESTIGATION AND EXPOSURE OF WATERGATE
* A. WATERGATE 7 TRIAL
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1. all of them found guilty
2. only the Washington Post had kept alive accusations of a coverup
* 3. Judge Sirica became suspicious based on these stories
4. He threatened maximum sentences (35 - 40 years) if they would not tell who they
were protecting
* 5. March 19-23, 1973 - James McCord sends a letter to Judge Sirica alleging
o that high administration figures knew about the burglary
o that they paid hush money to keep it quiet
o and that he had committed perjury.
o The judge read the letter at the sentencing and asked for more information
6. Ties to Mitchell, Haldeman, and Ehrlichman will eventually be revealed
* B. FBI re-enters investigation
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* 1. In March, John Dean began talking to the FBI (later Senate) he had covered up hush
$ in Feb.
2. They will eventually begin to substantiate Washington Post accusations and more
trials will begin
C. Congressional Investigation begins
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1. The Senate considered this information and decided to investigate the bugging stories
o (vote 77-0)
2. May 17, 1973 - The Senate Select Committee has its first live TV hearings
o * Sam Ervin (D) N.C.- Chairman
o The end begins as the hearings last 3 months
o Howard Baker (R) - "What did the President know and when did he know it?"
3. May '73 - John Dean - "Cancer on the Presidency"
o He states that the President knew of the connection before March of '73
o and had ordered Dean to keep a lid on it
o His word v. Nixon - most people believed President
o Nixon considered clemency to end the issue
4. Evidence discovered by investigations in 1973-74 - most tried to protect the
president
o a. Jeb Stuart McGruder supported McCord's story on the Plumbers as did
others
o b. The CIA was involved in illegalities
o c. FBI director L.Patrick Grey had destroyed Watergate documents - resigned
o d. Money had been paid by the White House to silence burglars - money drops
o e. Plumbers had broken several laws including breaking into Daniel Ellsberg's
psychiatrist's office
o f. Creep had illegally disrupted Democratic campaigning
o g. Large Corporations had made large ($100,000)
 illegal campaign contribution often under duress
o h. The White House had conducted a widescale illegal wiretapping program
o i. IRS had been used to harass Nixon critics illegally
o j. tampered with the judge in the Ellsberg trial
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* 5. July 13, 73 - Alexander Butterfield reveals that the tapes existed. Tapes can
support Dean
* D. Special Prosecutor - Archibald Cox
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1. Nixon creates "special investigator" to check thoroughly
2. April 17, 1973 - Nixon announced that a new investigation would be launched and that
he had not learned of the cover-up until March 21, 1973
3. April 30 - Dean, Haldeman, Ehrlichman resigned
Attorney General - Richard Kleindienst resigned rather than be associated with the
scandal
4. His replacement was Elliot Richardson and Nixon ordered him to appoint a special
prosecutor
* Archibald Cox to investigate the coverup and clear the President
5. This made Nixon appear innocent to much of the public - how could he be guilty?
6. continues to block his investigation
VI. Tapes Controversy, Resignation and Aftermath
* A. Tapes Controversy
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1. The Committee requested the tapes as did Cox - Nixon declined - Executive Privilege
* 2. Nixon claimed that the acts done by the plumbers were legal if the President does
them
o Executive Privilege - forcing the President to testify before Congress would
violate the separation of powers
o Nixon refused to appear
* 3. He denied knowing about these acts in advance and refused to hand over White
House Documents claiming Executive Privilege
* 4. Cox sued Nixon to obtain the tapes
5. October 12, 1973 - U.S. Court of Appeals ruled against Nixon's claim of Executive
Privilege (5-2)
6. Nixon appealed to the Supreme Court
B. Spiro Agnew resignation
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* 1. October 10, 1973 - Spiro Agnew resigns as V.P. plea bargain no contest to charges of
tax evasion
2. He also accepted kickbacks as governor of Md. and as V.P. and was accused of bribery
and extortion
3. (Law and Order label spoiled) no jail time other charges were dropped
4. Gerald Ford - the House Minority Leader was appointed V.P.
* C. October 21, 1973 - Saturday Night Massacre
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1. Cox insisted on the Tapes - Nixon refused
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2. Friday - Nixon offered an edited transcript to Cox instead of the tapes and ordered
Cox to stop asking for the tapes
3. Cox told Nixon no
4. Nixon told Attorney General - Elliot Richardson to fire Cox, he refused and resigned
5. Nixon told Deputy Attorney General - William Ruckelshaus to fire Cox and he
resigned
* 6. Nixon told Solicitor General Robert Bork to fire Cox and he did
* 7. The public was convinced by this that Nixon was guilty and the outcry forced
* 8. the President to name a new Special Prosecutor - Leon Jaworski
o who was promised some of the tapes
9. The House began Impeachment hearings
D. The Tapes
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1. Nixon released some of the tapes which substantiated Dean's claims contained no
smoking gun
2. leading Jaworski to ask for more tapes
o The long court battle over the tapes continued
3. March 1974 - All of the main players were tried, convicted, and served time - (25
total)
o they then made big bucks on the lecture tour
o * Grand Jury named Nixon an unindicted coconspirator
4. April 29, 1974 partial transcripts handed over with some of the tapes
* 5. The critical tape had an 18 1/2 minute "accidental" erasure by Rosemary Woods
o a. actually erased several times; other tapes were still missing
o b. Alexander Haig said that the erasure might have been caused by sinister
forces
6. Jaworski was not satisfied and continued the court battle
* 7. Destruction of evidence is a crime
* 8. July 24, 1974 - United States v. Nixon
o decided that Nixon must hand over the tapes - unanimous
"I am not a Crook" - Nixon refuses to resign
* E. Recommendation of Impeachment - 7/27/74 - by the House Committee
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* 1) Obstruction of Justice (27-11)
o cover-up of the Watergate affair
* 2) Abuse of Power - Executive Privilege and the Imperial Presidency
o (Use of FBI/CIA/Plumbers)
o Dirty Tricks Campaign
* 3) Ignoring subpoenas by the Senate Committee (21-17)
o Executive Priviledge
Two charges were rejected
4) Cambodia/Laos bombings
5) Use of government funds to improve his home - tax evasion
6. Polls in Congress showed the result might be a near thing
F. Resignation - evidence from the tapes
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* 1. Aug. 5 - New tapes showed that Nixon approved the coverup 6 days after the
breakin
2. Conversation between Nixon and Haldeman
"I don't give a sh__ what happens I want you all to stonewall it, let them plead the 5th
amendment, cover-up, or anything else, if it'll save it, save the plan."
o evidence also showed he had approved the hush money
o he ordered the cover-up
* 3. Unofficial poll of House - 421 - 3 in favor of impeachment
* 4. Finally when it became clear that Nixon had lied to his own supporters
o they abandoned him
o he realized that he would lose in a Senate trial
5. Popularity 27%
6. August 6, 1974 - Secretary of Defense - James Schlesinger told the army not to take
orders from
the President unless countersigned by him
* 7. Nixon resigned August 8, 1974 - admitted only bad judgment
* August 9 at noon Ford became President and appointed Nelson Rockefeller as V.P.
* 8. Sept. '74 Ford pardoned Nixon cost Ford popularity
Should Ford have pardoned Nixon? Pros? Cons?
G. RESULTS
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1. Pro
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
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2. Con
o
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o
a. The Constitutional System of Checks and Balances worked
b. Civilian Oversight Board created to monitor FBI/CIA - 1974
 notification on covert actions
 Reagan loosened controls
 War Powers Act - also designed to limit power of the President
c. Freedom of Information Act - designed to prevent secrecy
d. Election Reform Act
 a) public tax money for campaigns
 b) limits on amounts of money that can be given
 c) givers must be made public
e. Ethics Committees formed
 Michael Deaver first indicted
 1978 - special prosecutors created
f. Proved to cynical hippies of the 60's that the system works
g. No President is above the law
Nixon has since maintained that "When the President does it, that means its not
illegal"
a. Demoralization
b. Credibility Gap
c. Profits by most participants since $2000-$5000 / speaking engagement
d. Political participation - voters and candidates who fear press
e. World Image - Nixon was a hero to Europe
o
o
o
o
 USSR thought it was an attempt to destroy detente
 Fr.-G.B. thought that it was normal politics
f. Negative view of the Press as the enemy of government
g. 1974 produced reform oriented Democrats - Hart, Dukakis, etc.
 lost traditional Democratic focus
h. 1972 - Republican trend began interrupted by Watergate
 1. Carter offshoot
 2. Ronald Reagan = new republican = negative reaction to the 1960s
started by Nixon
i. Imperial Presidency
 public began to increase its complaints about the power of national
government
 complaints about abuse of power go back to FDR - court packing scheme
H. Federal Election Reform Act - 1972 - vetoed / overridden
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1. limit the amount / person that could be donated
2. campaign reporting required if more than $100 donated
3. Republican Party
o party of wealth had fewer members wanted their supporters to be able to
continue to give
4. wide violations were a part of Watergate
I. Results
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1. Since 1968 Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, Southern Democrats, the only nonRepublican Presidents elected.
2. Solid South gone
3. State and Local elections have been slower to change however Republicans
have become much stronger at these levels also
4. Republicans refined Nixon's approach