DOMESTIC CRISES OF THE
1960’S AND 1970’S
Kennedy through Nixon
Election of 1960
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
Southern vote
crucial—Kennedy
carries 8 southern
states (see text—
1023)
Traditional strong
holds emerging for
respective parties.
New Frontier




Tax cuts—1963
Manpower Development and Training Act
Area Redevelopment Act
An unfinished agenda in poverty and Civil
Rights
Assassination



11.22.63
Theories?
Warren commission
Two primary goals of the Great Society


"end poverty and racial
injustice."
Johnson’s “true” legacy.
"unconditional war on poverty"



Johnson as a former teacher had seen the
attack of poverty on students and children, he
was determined to address that problem.
The War on Poverty began with a $1 billion
appropriation in 1964 and spent another $2
billion in the following two years.
Success: 1029
Johnson Treatment:
Tremendous Success: Legislation


The Johnson administration submitted eightyseven bills to Congress, and Johnson signed
eighty-four, or 96%, arguably the most
successful legislative agenda in American
history.
Success measured in volume*
Election of 1964
Civil Rights Act of 1964

The "Jim Crow"
laws in the South
were abolished, and
it became illegal to
compel segregation
of the races in
schools, housing, or
hiring.
Limits of the Great Society




Incredible program, but success?
Poverty dropped (see chart) from 20-13%, but
it had little to do with the Great Society.
Rather realted to buildup of Vietnam.
Spending limited to 2 billion per year, not
enough to achieve such success.
Vietnam War: 22 Billion in 1966, compared to
1.2 Billion for the war on Poverty.
Heart of Atlanta
Motel Decision

Congress intervenes to stop discrimination in
situations where “interstate” commerce can be
used to enforce equality.
Liberal Revolution in the Courts


Writ of Certiatori and the power to legislate
from the bench?
Earl Warren Court
Key Cases of the Warren Court
Brown v. Board
Engel v. Vitale: prohibits prayer in school.
Abington v. Schemp: bans bible reading in the public schools.
New York Times v. Sullivan: “actual malice” principal in journalism. No
libel for false stories unless…
Westberry v. Sander: one man=one vote (congressional apportionment)
Green v. CSB of Kent County: end segregation by assigning pupils on the
basis of race.
Rights of the Accused
Gideon v. Wainwright: requires states to provide
legal assistance for those can’t afford it.
Miranda v. Arizona: requires police to administer a
suspects rights prior to arrest.
Mapp v. Ohio: illegally siezed evidence invalid in
court.
Escobedo v. Illinois: a suspect had the right to an
attorney when being questioned by police.
Nixon and Watergate
Anatomy of a scandal.
Victory in 72’
Why?
• “King Richard”
• Views on Power
• Previous elections
Woodward and Bernstein stay on the
case
• Pentagon Papers controversy
• Nixon begins denials “I can say
categorically that no one on the White
staff, no one in this administration was
involved in this very bizarre incident”
• Watergate burglars plead guilty
• Plumbers crack…
• It was learned that
• FBI destroyed documents in the case
• White house knew of sums paid to the
burglars
• Agents of Nixon had burglarized Ellsberg’s
psychiatrist
• Creep disrupted campaign of 1972
• Nixon used wiretaps extensively and
illegaly
The Aftermath
• Nixon tried to cover all of this up and lied
about it.
• Nixon denied evidence
• Special prosecutors and grand jury
• Nixon fires the prosecutors that were hired
to look into Watergate accusations.
• “I am not a crook”
• Revealing tapes
• Nixon resigns
• August 8, 1974:
Richard Nixon
becomes the first
U.S. president to
resign. Vice
President Gerald R.
Ford assumes the
country's highest
office. He will later
pardon Nixon of all
charges related to
the Watergate case.
Departure
Pardon me?
Pardon me?