The Presidency of Richard Nixon

The Republican Resurgence■In 1968, Republicans benefited

from the Vietnam disaster & division in the Democratic party:–Richard NixonRichard Nixon (R) ran as the

one candidate who could restore order in America

–HumphreyHumphrey (D) was plagued by anti-war protesters

–George WallaceGeorge Wallace (3rd) attacked blacks & liberals

Nixon claimed to represent the “silent majority” who worked, paid taxes, & did not protest

Nixon was the first candidate to appreciate the new importance of the “Sunbelt”: military bases, high-tech industries,

retirement communities, anti-segregationists made the South more conservative than before

The End of an Era■The presidential election of 1968

ended 30 years of:–Liberal reformLiberal reform—Americans

began to favor conservative political leaders

–Activist foreign policyActivist foreign policy—Vietnam proved that Containment failed to be applied to global scale

■A “silent majority” seemed fed up with protest, violence, long hair, drug use, & sexual promiscuity

Foreign Policy■Nixon proved to be an effective

foreign-policy president:–Most foreign policy decisions

were made by Nixon & National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger

■Developed a plan for détentedétente:–An “honorable” exit from Vietnam –Using U.S. trade to induce

cooperation from the USSR–Improved relations with China

Nixon hoped for a relaxing of Cold War tensions

Ending the Vietnam War■Nixon’s plan for an “honorable

peace” was “Vietnamization”:–Gradual withdraw of U.S. troops–Handing over the fighting to

South Vietnamese troops ■Privately, Nixon hoped for a

“knockout blow” & ordered U.S. troops into Cambodia & Laos

■The effect was the largest series of protests in American history

These bombings were conducted without the consent or approval of Congress

In 1973, Congress passed the War Powers ActWar Powers Act requiring Congress’ approval to send U.S.

forces into combat for more than 90 days & must inform Congress within 48 hours as to

the reasons for military intervention

Protests at Kent State & Jackson State resulted in bloody confrontations

between students & National Guard

Ending the Vietnam War■In January 1973, the U.S. & North

Vietnam agreed to a cease fire–By March 1973, U.S. troops

were withdrawn –By 1975, the South Vietnamese

capital of Saigon fell & Vietnam became unified under the Communist government

–Vietnam proved Containment could not be sustained

In Search of Détente

■In Feb 1972, Nixon became 1st U.S. president to visit & recognize the People’s Republic of China:

–These improved Sino-American relations helped eased Cold War tensions & forced the USSR to consider diplomacy with the U.S.

–Presented the U.S. with its 1st economic access to China

In Search of Détente■Nixon traveled to Moscow to meet

with Soviet leader Brezhnev:–The U.S. agreed to sell the

USSR $1 billion worth of grain–USSR agreed to Strategic Arms Strategic Arms

Limitation TalksLimitation Talks (SALT), the 1st Cold War nuclear arms treaty

■Kissinger negotiated an end to the Yom Kippur War in 1973 between Israel & Egypt

But…the SALT treaty did not target the construction of Multiple Independently Targeted Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs)

Shuttle Diplomacy

In diplomacy and international relations, shuttle diplomacy is the action of an outside party in serving as an intermediary between (or among) principals in a dispute, without direct principal-to-principal contact. Originally and usually, the process entails successive travel ("shuttling") by the intermediary, from the working location of one principal, to that of another.The term was first applied to describe the efforts of United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger,

Realpolitik

The policy of Realpolitik was formally introduced to the Richard Nixon White House by Henry Kissinger.]In this context, the policy meant dealing with other powerful nations in a practical manner rather than on the basis of political doctrine or ethics—for instance, Nixon's diplomacy with the People's Republic of China, despite the U.S.'s opposition to communism and the previous doctrine of containment. Another example is Kissinger's use of shuttle diplomacy after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, where he persuaded the Israelis to withdraw partially from the Sinai in deference to the political realities created by the oil crisis.

Realpolitik is distinct from ideological politics in that it is not dictated by a fixed set of rules, but instead tends to be goal-oriented, limited only by practical exigencies. Since realpolitik is ordered toward the most practical means of securing national interests, it can often entail compromising on ideological principles.

Nixon’s Covert Operations

■Despite Nixon’s public détente with the USSR & China, most foreign policy was covert:

–CIA funded the leaders of brutal gov’ts in Iran, South Africa, the Philippines, & Nicaragua

–CIA assassinated Chilean president Salvador Allende

Nixon’s Domestic Policy■Nixon entered office as a

moderate who kept LBJ’s Great Society in place

–But, Nixon shifted responsibility for social problems to state & local governments

–Nixon reshaped the Supreme Court along conservative lines when 4 justices retired

Replaced retiring chief justice Earl Warren with Warren Burger

Nominated Harry Blackmun, Lewis Powell, & William

Rehnquist

Nixon’s Domestic Policy■Nixon oversaw the creation of:

–Environmental Protection Agency

–Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)

–A failed plan to replace welfare benefits with a minimum income

–Quotas for minority construction firms for gov’t projects

–Ended the gold standard in 1971

Nixonomics■The economy was a challenge:

–Nixon inherited inflation & deficit spending from the Vietnam War

–Nixon’s decrease in government spending & increase in interest rates led to the 1st American recession since 1958

■In 1971, Nixon responded with a 90-day freeze on wages & prices & imposed a 10% tax on imports

Democrats coined “Nixonomics” to describe Nixon’s failed plan

This “Great Nixon Turnaround” ended the recession

Armstrong and Aldrin on the Moon

Pentagon Papers

Busing

Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, (1971) was an important United States Supreme Court case dealing with the busing of students to promote integration in public schools. After a first trial going to the Board of Education, the Court held that busing was an appropriate remedy for the problem of racial imbalance among schools, even where the imbalance resulted from the selection of students based on geographic proximity to the school rather than from deliberate assignment based on race. This was done to ensure the schools would be "properly" integrated and that all students would receive equal educational opportunities regardless of their race.

The Election of 1972■In 1972, Nixon ran for re-election

–Democrat George McGovern was labeled an “outsider” who supported “acid, abortion, & amnesty”

–Nixon won in the 4th largest margin of victory in history

■But…the Watergate scandal ended the Nixon presidency

The 1972 election saw a shift in voting patterns:

Only blacks, Jews, & the poor voted overwhelmingly Democratic while the GOP

continued its dominance in the Sunbelt

Watergate: A Crisis of Democracy

The Watergate Scandal ■In 1972, a break-in at Democratic

candidate George McGovern’s headquarters revealed a well-funded plan of espionage & sabotage by the Committee to Re-Elect the President (CREEP)

■The Watergate cover-up led to Nixon’s resignation & a changed American perception of the gov’t & the role of the media

The Watergate Complex

Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post broke the Watergate story

Their investigation revealed…

The Burglars

Formation of the “Plumbers”

All the President's Men

Daniel Ellsberg’s Pentagon Papers

Nixon’s Enemies List■Jane Fonda

■Paul Newman

■Edward Kennedy

■Joe Namath

■Daniel Schorr

■Bill Cosby

■Several 100 more U.S. citizens

The Watergate Scandal■The Watergate scandal began to

unravel in 1973:–The discovery that Nixon

recorded conversations proved most damning

–The Supreme Court ordered Nixon to turn over all tapes to a Senate investigative committee

–The House brought 3 articles of impeachment against president

Obstruction of justice

Abuse of power Contempt of Congress

Due largely to Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein

Stonewalling

The Watergate Scandal■Impact of the Watergate scandal:

–26 members of Nixon’s administration were sent to jail

–The press began to be seen as a “watchdog” over the gov’t

–An independent judiciary branch was vital to protect individual freedom & national interests

–Power shifted from the president to Congress

Teddy Roosevelt began the trend of a stronger president than Congress; a trend that continued

throughout the 20th century until Nixon

After Nixon, Congress enacted campaign finance reform, made it easier for the Justice

Dept to investigate the Executive Branch, took back some control of the federal budget,

passed the Freedom of Information Act, & reigned in CIA covert operations

Conclusions: Politics After Watergate

■The Watergate scandal eroded public trust in their own gov’t

■The growing tension between president & Congress prevented strong, effective leadership from meeting foreign & domestic problems in the 1970s

■The discontent of the 1960s & 1970s revealed an America at war with itself

Ranking Presidential Scandals■Examine & rank order presidential

scandals in American history:–Ulysses Grant Crédit Mobilier & Crédit Mobilier &

Whiskey RingWhiskey Ring–Warren Harding Teapot DomeTeapot Dome–Richard Nixon WatergateWatergate–Ronald Reagan Iran-Contra Iran-Contra

AffairAffair–Bill Clinton Whitewater &Whitewater & Monica Monica

Lewinski AffairLewinski Affair