Overview Presidents Nixon-Obama

President Richard Nixon

Domestic PoliciesCreated the Environment Protection Agency (EPA)

Sets water and air pollution standards for cities and businesses

Sets regulations and standards for new construction and businesses

Endangered Species Act (1973) Fish and Wildlife Service monitors different plant

and animal species in the U.S. Creates a list of those in danger of extinction and

creates policies or regulations to protect them

President Richard Nixon

Foreign PoliciesChina

First President to visit China Set up diplomatic relations and opened trade

Détente with Soviet Union Wanted to stop the nuclear arms race and relax

tensions in the Cold War First president to visit Moscow to meet with leader

of the Soviet Union Signed SALT to limit missile development Began trading with Soviet Union

President Richard Nixon

ScandalWatergate Crisis

Former CIA agents broke into the Democratic Party headquarters

Nixon tried to cover up the investigation Refused to release recordings of his conversations

under executive privilege and separation of powers, Supreme Court forced him to turn over the tapes House of Representatives wanted to impeach Nixon,

but he resigned

President Gerald Ford

Domestic PoliciesStagflation

Inflation rose by approximately 10% Goods cost 10% more at the end of the year

High unemploymentGas Crisis

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

Used oil embargo on U.S. and Europe for political reasons

Impacted all areas of life in U.S.

President Gerald Ford

Foreign PoliciesDétente

Continued Nixon’s policy of trying to lower tensions between U.S. and Soviet Union

Signed Helsinki Accords to agree on pre-WWII borders and human rights

SALT II set limitations on U.S. and Soviet weapons Fell apart because they could not agree on exact terms

President Jimmy Carter

Domestic PoliciesEnergy Crisis

Gas prices rose Increased oil in Strategic Petroleum Reserve and

created Department of EnergyEnvironment

Created Nuclear Regulatory Commission to control use of nuclear energy

Three Mile IslandCommunity Reinvestment Act

Stagflation (inflation rose to 10%; interest rates 20%)

Banks did not give loans to people in low-income areas

Community Reinvestment Act required banks to give loans to all qualified people

President Jimmy Carter

Foreign PoliciesPanama Canal Treaty

Gave Canal Zone to Panama Promised to give canal to Panama by 2000

Camp David Accords State of Israel created 1948 Fought with Egypt

Sadat and Begin agreed Israel would give back Sinai Peninsula and Egypt would sign a peace treaty

Iran Shah was U.S. ally but brutal to Iranians Revolution restored Ayatollah Khomeini and Muslim

fundamentalists to power Took hostages from U.S. embassy for more than one year Finally released last day of Carter’s presidency

President Ronald Reagan

Domestic PoliciesReaganomics

Reduce taxes and deregulate businesses to increase production (supply-side economics)

More product, lower inflation Helped end the recession

Federal Deficit and Trade Promised to only spend taxes Increased military spending led to higher federal deficit Trade imbalance led to increased unemployment

Immigration Mazzoli-Simpson Act (1986) legalized undocumented

immigrants living in the U.S. since 1981

President Ronald ReaganForeign PoliciesReagan Doctrine

“Roll back” communism Focused on Afghanistan, Angola, Nicaragua, and

Cambodia “Peace through Strength” increased military

spending and Star Wars (Strategic Defense Initiative)

Soviet Union could not competeIran-Contra Affair

Publicly refused to negotiate with terrorists Acted against terrorist leaders in Libya Government secretly sold weapons to Iran to

negotiate release of U.S. hostages in Lebanon Used money to support Contra rebels in Nicaragua

(after Congress refused support)Fall of Soviet Union

Gorbachev’s policies brought more democracy to the Soviet Union and gave more authority to individual members of the Union

Agreed to dismantle nuclear weapons

President George W.H. Bush

Domestic PoliciesSupreme Court

Successfully placed more conservative justices on Supreme Court

Recession (Again) Trade imbalance and decreased spending led to

recession Rust Belt

ADA (1990) Protects people with disabilities Employees and access to public buildings/facilities

President Bill ClintonDomestic PoliciesHealth Care Reform

Led by Hillary Clinton Recommended several plans but Congress failed to

approve any single reformEconomic Recovery

Reduced military spending Computer economy Balanced federal budget

Impeachment Accused of perjury Republicans in HoR voted to impeach Senate did not have 2/3 needed

President Bill Clinton

Foreign PoliciesBalkans

Fighting in Yugoslavia (Catholics, Muslims, and Eastern Orthodox)

Divided the country Eastern Orthodox Serbs tried to kill Bosnian Muslims

(“ethnic cleansing”) Clinton used NATO air strikes against Serbia to accomplish

peace treatyWorld Organizations

NAFTA led to increased trade in North America World Trade Organization set rules for global trade

President George W. Bush

Domestic PoliciesNCLB

Under LBJ’s ESEA Mandate state tests in English and math Publish school and district report cards Government intervention for failing schools

Economy Cut taxes to encourage spending Mainly effected wealthy Led to increased federal deficit

President George W. Bush

Foreign Policies9/11 and War on Terror

9/11 was worst attack on U.S. soil (3,000 casualties) War on Terror against countries that support terrorism Patriot Act and Department of Homeland Security Guantanamo Bay

War in Iraq Argued that Hussein had WMDs Used air strikes to support invasion of Baghdad Hussein deposed and executed in 2006 Democratic government and new constitution (first in

Middle East)

President Barack Obama

Domestic PoliciesEconomic Crisis Under Bush

Bush gave rebates to citizens, took over mortgage lenders, allowed large investment firms to fail

Congress passed Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (2008) to prevent banks from failing

Economic Crisis Under Obama American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009) Create new jobs by spending $700 billion Regulate financial practices

President Barack Obama

Foreign PoliciesMiddle East

Increased troops in Afghanistan Withdrew troops from Iraq Discouraged use of force against “Arab Spring”

demonstrators