Richard Nixon- Ronald Reagan
1968-1989
By: Alyssa Walz, Anjali Ramachandran, and Mariah Peterson
5th period
Richard M. Nixon
1969-1974
President Nixon
Background to Election of
‘68
• Lyndon B. Johnson
o Domestic Policy
 Great Society
•

Medicare, War on Poverty
Voting Rights Act of 1965
•
required federal government to guarantee African Americans and other
minority groups the ability to vote
o Foreign Policy
 Unofficial war with Vietnam
•
hawks vs. doves (Republicans/Conservative Democrats vs. left and Democratic
Party)
Party Presidential Conventions (1968)
Democratic
•
Potential Candidates
o
o
Hubert Humphrey
Potential Candidates
o
Richard M. Nixon
Former LBJ’s VP


focused on securing delegate
support
middle path between liberals
and conservatives

avoided making controversial
statements about Vietnam

Running mate= Spiro Agnew
Senator McCarthy
Against LBJ’s Vietnam Policy
Senator Kennedy

•
•
•


o
Republican
Assassinated after winning
California primary
Violent Anti War Protests in Chicago
Humphrey won the nomination
Presidential Election (1968)
•
•
•
•
Republicans
Candidate: Richard M. Nixon
Background:
o
“hawk” on Vietnam
policy
o
right-leaning
(conservative) on
domestic policy
Democrats
●
●
●
Platform
o
Victory in Vietnam
o
strong anti crime policy
Target Voters
o
Goldwater conservatives
o
party moderates
o
white southerners
●
Candidate: Hubert H.
Humphrey
Background
○ LBJ’s VP
○ former pharmacist,
college professor,
mayor, US Senator
from Minnesota
Platform
○ Pro-War Policy in
Vietnam
Target Voters
○ lacked full support of
anti war Democrats
○ won black support
because of support of
civil rights legislation
and social programs
American
Independent
Party
●
●
●
●
Candidate: George C. Wallace
Background
○ Former governor of
Alabama
Platform
○ Racial Segregation
○ States’ rights
○ Anti-Big Govt
○ Repeal Great Society’s War
on Poverty
Vote
○ 46 electoral votes
Results of ‘68 Presidential Election
● Nixon won the Election
○ with both popular votes and electoral college votes
● Significance
○ 1st election after the Voting Rights Act of ‘65 -> voter turnout among
African Americans and other minorities greatly increased
Vietnam War
Effect on the economy:
● Drained tax money from improvements in education
● Scientific skill and manufacturing capacity away from the civilian sector
● Stagflation- describes a situation where the inflation rate is high, the
economic growth rate slows down, and unemployment remains steadily
high
○ Why was there inflation?
■ large military and welfare spending are inflationary because
it put money in people’s hands without adding to the supply
of goods that the money can buy.
● Increase in oil prices
Vietnam War Continued...
● Widening the War… plan is to clean out the enemy
sanctuaries in Cambodia
○ led to…
■ senate repealing the Gulf of Tonkin “blank check”
■ protests
● Kent State University- protested the invasion
of Cambodia, killed 4 and wounded 9
● Jackson State College- protested the invasion
of Cambodia, killed 2 and wounded 12
Kent State University protest after shooting.
Vietnam War Continued...
● President Nixon developed Vietnamization (“peace with honor”)
○ This was a plan to withdraw US troops in South Vietnam over an extended
period of time gradually turning power over to the South Vietnamese.
○ Criticisms?
■ Doves* wanted them out NOW, not over an extended period of time
■ draft exclusions (men in college and with essential civilian skills)
● This meant many underprivileged men were sent to war, many of
them being blacks.
● My Lai massacre- mass murder of hundreds of villagers in the village of My
Lai by US soldiers
*Doves vs Hawks- violent fights occurred between the two groups. The doves opposed the Vietnam War and the
hawks we for it.
My Lai massacre
Vietnam War Continued...
●
Nixon Doctrine- proclaimed that the US would honor its existing defense
commitments, but that in the future, Asians and others would have to fight their
own wars without the support of American troops
●
Pentagon Papers- pentagon study of American involvement in the Vietnam War
from 1945-1967 that was published in the New York Times Newspaper
○
●
Revealed flaws in Kennedy and Johnson's administration
■
secretly bombing Cambodia (neutral country) without Congress or
American citizens knowing about it
■
continued to bomb North Vietnam after the cease fire
● War Powers Act- required the president to report to congress
within 48 hours after committing troops to a foreign conflict In 1973
the U.S. and
In 1973 the U.S. and Vietnam signed a peace treaty
○
this ended the Vietnam war
Relations with the USSR and
China
•
•
•
•
SALT- Strategic Arms Limitations Talks
o led to the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and an interim agreement
between the USSR and the United States.
ABMT- Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
o limited the amount of anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems allowed
within the United States and the USSR.
Nixon sent his Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to China on a diplomatic
mission in Beijing to better the United States relationship with China.
One year after Kissinger went to China, Nixon himself went to China on a
diplomatic mission.
o Led to “Détente”, or the easing of strained relationships between the
USSR and the United States.
Supreme Court Rulings Under the Nixon
Administration
• United States v. Washington Post
•
•
•
o Fight to release the Pentagon Papers
Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education (1971)
o the bussing of African-American children to integrated schools
Roe v. Wade, (1973)
o disallowed many state and federal restrictions on abortion in the
United States
United States v. Nixon, (1974)
o the president cannot use executive privilege to withhold evidence that
is "demonstrably relevant in a criminal trial."
The decision in Roe vs Wade is still one of the most
controversial decisions of today.
Environment
● Rachel Carson○ author that published “Silent Spring”
○ exposed the poisonous effects of pesticides
● Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)○ Agency of the US government that sets and enforces
national pollution control standards.
Rachel Carson
Other Important Actions Under
Nixon
●
Liberal Domestic Actions○
expansion of welfare programs
○
increase appropriations or entitlements like food stamps and medicaid
■
●
●
results: raised social security old age pensions, supplemental security
income
Economic Actions○
imposed a 90 day wage and price freeze to stimulate exports
○
took the US off the gold standard
○
ended the “Bretton Woods” system of international currency stabilization
Philadelphia plan (1969)- required construction of trade unions working on
federal contracts in Philadelphia to establish “goals and timetables” for the hiring of
black apprentices
○
required thousands of employers to meet hiring quotas or to establish “set-
Election of 1972
•
Incumbent President Richard M. Nixon
o Republican Candidate
 Emphasized the good he had done for the economy, and his
success in foreign affairs.
George McGovern
o Democratic candidate
 Ran on an anti-war platform
● Nixon wins in a landslide.
○ Nixon won by the widest margin ever, with almost 18 million
more popular votes than McGovern.
○ won every state except for Massachusetts
•
Election of 1972
Consequences of the Yom Kippur War
● Egypt and Syria vs Israel (Israel won)
● The US supported Israel which caused an embargo on oil
○ lines for automobiles
○ deepened the business recession
○ developed an Alaskan pipeline
○ national speed limit (55 mph)
○ heavier use of coal and nuclear power
○ fuel efficient engines
○ creation of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC)
○ established that the US was dependent on oil
Oil embargo
Watergate
The term “watergate” describe a series of political scandals which occurred during the
Nixon administration, between 1972 and 1974.
•
Several men broke into the Watergate hotel and attempted to bug phone lines and
steal secret documents from the office of the Democratic Party’s National Committee
on June 17, 1972.
o The prowlers were connected to President Richard Nixon’s reelection campaign.
o No one can be sure if Nixon knew about the Watergate operation beforehand, but
it is clear that he took steps to cover it up afterwards.
Deep Throat: the cover-name given to the secret informant (later revealed to be former
FBI Associate Director Mark Felt.) who provided information to The Washington Post
about Richard Nixon and his administration’s involvement in the Watergate scandal.
•
This scandal only brought more divisions to the country which Nixon was trying to
unite.
Gerald Ford
1974-1977
“I assume the presidency under extraordinary circumstances… This is an hour of history that troubles our minds
and hurts our hearts.”
President Ford
The Unelected President
● Spiro Agnew was forced to step down from his position as VicePresident, due to tax evasion.
○ Nixon nominated Gerald R. Ford to be the new Vice-President
and he was confirmed by Congress.
■ He was chosen because he had a reputation for being an
honest politician.
● President Ford was a “president without precedent”
○ When Nixon resigned to avoid impeachment, Ford became the
first U.S. President to have not been elected to office.
■ He also the succeeded the first president ever to resign.
Ford’s Actions
● He granted a presidential pardon to Nixon
○ This ruined his chances of getting elected again
■ brought about rumors of a “Buddy Deal”
● Helsinki Accords○ In Helsinki, Finland
○ held to end World War 2 by legitimizing the
Soviet dictated boundaries of Poland and
Eastern European countries
Tasks at Hand
•
•
Master inflation
o Inflation was kicked into overdrive by the OPEC oil embargo of 1974
and the elimination of wage/price controls instituted by Nixon.
Revive the economy
o the economy had slipped into a depression, due to the huge inflation
rates
● Solve the energy shortages
○ Oil embargo by OPEC
•
Try to ensure world peace
o Tensions were high everywhere, with the Cold War, the remaining
tensions (albeit improved since the Nixon administration) between
the U.S. and China, and other warring countries around the world
Womens Rights Movement
•
“2nd wave”
● Phyllis Schlafly○ opposed the women's movement
● Title IX○ prohibited sex discrimination in any federally assisted
educational programs
● Equal Rights Amendment 1972
○ It fell just three states short of ratification
Phyllis Schlafly
Jimmy Carter
1977-1981
“For myself and for our Nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land.”
President Carter
Election of 1976
•
•
•
Bicentennial election
Incumbent Gerald H. Ford
o Republican candidate
 chances at re-election tainted by his
administration
Jimmy (James) Carter
o Democratic candidate
 status as a relatively unknown politician and a
Washington outsider, and moderate reformer
Foreign Policy and Actions
•
•
•
•
Dealing with the USSR: Completed negotiations of the SALT II
nuclear limitations treaty
Dealing with China: he insured full diplomatic relations with the
People’s Republic of China
o this built on the work of former presidents, namely Nixon
Ratified the Panama Canal treaty and the Neutrality Treaty in 1977
o Promised to cede control of the Canal to the people of Panama by
the year 2000
Camp David Agreements of 1978
o helped bring amnesty between Egypt and Israel
Middle East
● Camp David Accords○ The Egyptian President, Anwar Sadat, and
prime minister of Israel, Menachem Begin,
came to Camp David
○ persuaded them to sign an accord
■ Israel would withdraw from Sinai
■ Egypt would respect Israel's new leaders
Camp David Accords
Economy Under Carter
During his presidency Carter had to deal with huge economic problems left over
from former administrations, but he aptly rose to the occasion.
•
•
•
•
•
Growing Deficit
rising energy costs
o After the OPEC embargo oil prices skyrocketed
Continued tensions with foreign countries
o China
o USSR
Huge inflation
Huge unemployment rates
By the end of his presidency he had substantially reduced the deficit and created 8
million new jobs. However inflation and interest rates remained at near record
Other Actions by Carter
•
Inflation and international debt
● Energy Crusade
○ caused by OPEC oil prices and inflation
○ “the moral equivalent of war”
○ called for legislation to improve energy conservation
■ failed
● Increased human and social services
○ Created the department of education
○ bolstered the social security system
○ appointed record number of blacks, women and hispanics to
government jobs
Setbacks of the Carter
Administration
•
•
USSR invasion of Afghanistan caused the suspension of plans for
ratification of the SALT II pact.
52 U.S. citizens working in the U.S. embassy based in Iran were
seized as hostages.
o Embassy overrun by an angry group of young Islamic
revolutionaries.
 the former Shah was suffering from cancer, and came to the
U.S. for treatment the angry mob of revolutionaries demanded
his return, so he could be prosecuted.
 the American diplomats were held hostage for 444 days
Released the day the Carter left office and Reagan took
over
•
Ronald Reagan
1981-1989
Promised during his campaign to, restore “the great confident roar of American progress and growth and
optimism.”
President Reagan
Presidential Election of
•1980
•
•
Ronald Reagan
o Republican Candidate
 Conservative
 “trickle down” economics
o Reinvigorate the American people and decrease their reliance on the
government.
Incumbent Jimmy Carter
o Democrat
 Big government
 fiscal discipline
John B. Anderson
o Republican but ran as an independent candidate
Presidential Election of 1980 Cont.
•
Reagan won because he was a vivacious personality
who won the hearts of people all across America, and
because the people believed he would be the best
person to deal with the hostage situation.
o January 20th, 1981- inauguration day and Iran
released the hostages
Iran hostage crisis
All About Reagan
● Goals:
○ change government spending
■ cut $45 billion in social programs
■ he accomplished this because he wooed “boll weevils”,
southern conservative democrats, to get his way
○ “Peace through strength”
● Assassination attempt 69 days into his presidency
○ March 30th, 1981
○ collapsed left lung
○ His grace and wit after the incident caused his popularity to soar
Economy under Reagan
● “supply-side” economics
○ economic growth can be created by lowering barriers for people to produce
goods
● made many tax cuts to stimulate investment, boost productivity, foster dramatic
economic growth, and reduce federal deficit
○ Eliminated many tax deductions for the very wealthy, and created exemptions
for people with very low income.
■ “Do you think a millionaire should pay more taxes than a bus driver?”
● Recession of 1982○ unemployment
○ bank failures
○ caused by anti inflationary “tight money” policies
● Military spending
Presidential Election of
1984
● Democrats
• Republicans
○ Candidate: Mondale
○ Running Mate: Geraldine
Ferraro
■
1st Women appearing on
major party presidential ticket
○ Candidacy tainted
because he was Carter’s
Vice President
o Candidate: Ronald
Reagan
o Bolstered by buoyant
economy and popular
persona
New Soviet Leader
“Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev tear down
this wall.” -President Ronald Reagan
•
Mikhail Gorbachev (1985)
o
Personality:

o
Personable, Energetic, Imaginative, Committed to Radical Reform
Policies:


Glasnost (“openness”)
•
aimed to ventilate the secretive repressiveness of Soviet society by introducing free
speech and some political liberties
Perestroika (“restructuring”)
End of Cold War
•
Glasnost and Perestroika:
•
Summit Meetings:
required that the USSR shrink the
size of military and redirect energy to civilian economy
o Geneva (Nov. 1985)
USSR would cease to deploy intermediate-range nuclear forces (INF) targeted on
Western Europe
o Iceland (Oct. 1986)
Stalemate
o Washington DC (Dec. 1987)
INF treaty- banning all intermediate-range nuclear missiles from Europe
o Moscow (May 1988)
Wrapped up negotiations
end to the cold war
Iran Contra
•
•
•
Background Information
o continuing captivity of American hostages in Middle East
o continuing grip of power of left-wing Scandinista government in
Nicaragua
Scandal
o US diplomats secretly arranged arms sales to the Iranians in return for
Iranian aid in rescuing the hostages
o Payment for arms sales were diverted to the contra rebels in
Nicaragua
Effects
o Iran-contra affair often overshadowed Reagan’s achievement with the
Soviets
A political cartoon which depicts the Iran Contra
scandal.
Economics Under Reagan
● HUGE deficit
○ unlucky for future generations
○ unequal distribution of income
● Twin towers of deficit
○ 1. federal budget
○ 2. international trade deficit
○ Black Monday■ October 19, 1982
■ leading stock market index decrease 508 points (largest 1
day decline in history)
Scandals
● Environmental protection agency resigned
because of misappropriation of funds
● Secretary of labor
○ charges of fraud and larceny
● Personal aid
○ convicted of perjury
● Chief law enforcement officer
○ influence pedaling
Reagan’s Terms
• First Term
o
Focus on domestic
affairs


shrinking federal
government
reducing taxes
• Second Term
o
Foreign Policy Issues

USSR and Cold War
Supreme Court Cases (‘68-’89)
•
•
•
•
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
o all defendants in serious criminal cases were entitled to legal counsel
Escobedo v. Illinois (1964) & Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
o ensured the right of the accused to remain silent
Engel v. Vitale (1962)
o voted against requiring prayers and Bible Reading in public schools
(based off of the 1st Amendment)
Roe v. Wade (1973)
o legalized abortion
Amendments to the Constitution
•
•
Amendment XXV: In case of the removal
or death of the President, the Vice President
shall become the President
Amendment XXVI: Right of Citizens, 18
or older, in the United States to vote
Summary
Nixon
● End of Vietnam
War
● Watergate
● Resigned
● Détente
Ford
● granted a
presidential pardon
(Nixon)
● unelected president
Carter
● Camp David
Accords
● Iran hostage
situation
● oil embargo
● HIGH Inflation
● SALT 2
Reagan
● Iran Contra
● end of the Cold
War
● BIG deficit
QUIZ
Who was the candidate
for the American
Independent Party?”
George C.
Wallace
What are two things that
were on the American
Independent Party
Platform?
Segregation, anti big
government, repeal
Great Society’s War on
poverty, and state’s
rights.
What were the
effects of widening
the war?
Protests at Kent
State University
and Jackson State
College.
Who were the
Doves and who
were the hawks?
The doves were the
people who opposed the
Vietnam War and the
hawks were the people
who were for the war.
What was the strategy
that President Nixon
developed to get
American troops out of
Vietnam?
Vietnamization
What was the
supreme court
ruling US vs Nixon
about?
The president cannot use
executive privilege to
withhold what is
“demonstrably relevant in a
criminal trial”
In the election of 1972,
Nixon won every state
except for...
Massachusetts
What were 3 effects of
the Yom Kippur War?
lines for automobiles, deepened the
business recession, developed an
Alaskan pipeline, national speed
limit, heavier use of coal and nuclear
power, fuel efficient engines,
creation of OPEC, and established
that the US was dependent on oil.
Who was the unelected
president and why was
he chosen to assume
the presidency?
Gerald Ford; he had
a reputation for
being an honest
politician.
What were the
Helsinki Accords?
Held to end World War 2
by legitimizing the Soviets
dictated boundaries of
Poland and Eastern
European countries.
What is
Title IX?
It prohibited sex
discrimination in any
federally assisted
educational programs.
What are two main
events that occurred
during Carter’s
presidency?
Camp David Accords,
Iran hostages,
inflation, SALT 2, and
the oil embargo.
When were the
hostages in Iran
released? (may say
and event)
January 20th, 1981;
Ronald Reagan’s
inauguration
How did government
spending change
while Reagan was
president?
There was increased
military spending and
less spent on social
programs.
What was Reagan
wanting to use lots of
the money for military
spending on?
SDL (Star Wars)
What is “supply
side” economics?
It is when economic growth
is created by lowering
barriers for people to
produce goods.
What were the two
policies Gorbachev
wanted to achieve?
Glasnost and
perestroika.
What happened in the
Iran Contra scandal?
US diplomats secretly arranged
arms sales to the Iranians in
return for Iranian aid in rescuing
the hostages. Payment for arms
sales were diverted to the
contra rebels in Nicaragua.
What happened
on Black
Monday?
leading stock market index
decrease 508 points (largest
1 day decline in history)
What were 2 important
events that happened
during Reagan’s
presidency?
Iran contra, hostages
released, and end of
cold war.
*BONUS
QUESTION!*
When did President
Reagan’s assassination
attempt occur?
October 19,
1982