Ap president richard nixon-ap

President Richard Nixon-1968-1972

Foreign Policy• Nixon goes to China—first President to go

there since it had turned Communist.

Goes to Russia

Détente becomes the new Containment Policy

• Nixon and Henry Kissinger sought to create a new international order based on the ideal of “multi-polarity” in which China, Japan, and Western Europe would play an increasing role, to replace the bipolar US-Soviet system that had existed.

• SALT• Nixon Doctrine-support and aid

Domestic Policy

• New Federalism: returning power to the States

• Family Assistance Plan—a reform of the welfare system—failed

• “Silent Majority”• Chief Justice Warren and his “liberal”

decisions-expanded rights to the criminal defendants

• Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

• Rising energy costs• Decline of the industrial sector• High interest rates• Nixon proposed a wage and price control • 10% tariff• Fewer regulations

Re-election 1972

• Nixon was very concerned about winning re-election. Nothing was going to get in his way. Kept an enemy list filled with people whom he considered a threat to his presidency.

• Seeking to gain an edge in every way he could, Nixon’s team engaged in a host of subversive tactics—from spying on opposition rallies to spreading rumors to false reports.

Watergate• One tactic included breaking into the

Democratic Party’s headquarters, a place called Watergate, and stealing sensitive information and placing wire tapping devices.

• The Burglars got caught.

Secret Tapes- “executive privilege”

Watergate

• http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=20E84D78-D141-4905-83C5-4BF4CB54215B

• All the President’s Men• http://youtu.be/1fLdCZm7qgs

No one is above the Law

• Gerald Ford becomes President and Pardons Nixon of all wrong doing

Cost of Watergate

• Can Americans trust their government?• Secret bombings, invasions, abuse of power,

administration cover up, etc.• Journalists: “Bring down the Politicians” • Politicians: No part of their lives would be

secret.• Proved that the US constitutional system of

checks and balances worked.

Jimmy Carter-end of the Imperial Presidency

• Carter’s efforts to distance himself from the Washington establishment helped him

to defeat Ford. Moral and decent man, who ignored the advice of the more established and relied on many of his Georgia advisers.

• Committed American foreign policy to the defense of Human Rights.

Foreign Policy

• Carter wanted the US to be “right and honest and truthful and decent” in dealing with other nations.

• He moved to give the Panama Canal back to Panama

• Boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow because the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan.

• Pardoned the Draft Dodgers

Camp David Accords-bringing Israel and Egypt together

The Hostage Crisis

• The US had long supported the leader of Iran—the Shah of Iran—because Iran was a major supplier of OIL to the US.

• The Shah however was growing unpopular with the Iranians and was becoming a repressive ruler.

• He was also introducing “Western” reforms to the society.

• This did not make the Islamic clergy happy

• A revolution occurred and forced out the Shah and an Islamic Republic was then declared.

• Islamic Republic is when religion and government are united.

• In 1979 revolutionaries stormed the American embassy in Tehran and held 52 Americans hostage.

For 444 days the hostages were held captive. Carter could not negotiate for

their release.

Argo

• http://youtu.be/8tT1eClk4cQ