1. U.S. History 3 Chapter 22 “A Crisis in Confidence: 1968-1980”
Chapter 22-1: Nixon and the Watergate Scandal

2. Nixon’s Policies Target Middle America
Silent Majority: Nickname Nixon gave to middle class Americans who wanted to see an end to the chaos of the 1960’s
New Federalism: Nixon’s plan to reverse the trend of growing federal power by given power “back to the states”
Revenue Sharing: Federal Gov’t. gave states money to spend on special projects
OSHA, EPA, Medicare, and Medicaid all increased federal power

3. The Economy Struggles
Stagflation: economic stagnation and high inflation
*Rapid increase in the price of oil was that main concern
1973: Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries OPEC placed an oil embargo on the United States
Gas prices increased 400%

4. Nixon Follows a “Southern Strategy”
Controversy rages over busing: 1971: federal courts forced school districts to “bus” students in order to desegregate public schools: Nixon opposed idea
Nixon Proposes New Civil Rights Initiatives: Affirmative Action: policy that gives preference to women and minority applicants in jobs/education to make up for past discrimination

5. Nixon’s Strategy Succeeds
1972: Nixon ran as a “moderate” while Anti-war Democrat (George McGovern) and Segregationist George Wallace (Wallace was shot and paralyzed during campaign) were seen as “extremists”

6. The Watergate Scandal Brings Nixon Down
Watergate: Complex that housed Democratic Campaign Headquarters
June 1972: Burglars were arrested for breaking into the head quarters
James McCord: Burglar who admitted that Nixon Administration ordered the break in
*After this confession, the Senate began to investigate and the scandal went public

7. “Deep Throat”
Washington Post: Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein followed the tips of a government informant (the press named him “Deep Throat” after an adult film of the era)
Woodward and Bernstein kept the informants name a secret and continued to write articles about the scandal
Nixon: “I am not a crook”

8. Watergate Scandal Archibald Cox: Prosecutor
John Dean: stated that Nixon ordered a cover-up
John Mitchell: Attorney General who ordered the break-in
Executive Privilege: After it was revealed that Nixon had White House discussions taped, he was ordered to hand them over; Nixon refused for “national-security” concerns (United States v. Nixon)
Saturday Night Massacre: Nixon fired Cox and other high ranking officials
Supreme Court Rules that Nixon has to turn over all tapes
August 9th, 1974: Richard M. Nixon became the first president to resign from office
*Vice President Spiro Agnew had also resigned over a bribery scandal
*Gerald Ford became the President (Only man to become president after NOT being elected President OR Vice President
25th Amendment: Presidential Succession: Nixon nominated Ford (House Minority Leader) to become his VP after Agnew resigned

9. Watergate Has a Lasting Impact
Public’s confidence in their government was shaken
1950: 80% of Americans trusted their government
1974: 33%
*Congress passed laws to limit Presidential Power (Independent Counsel) to investigate wrongdoing
*Watergate also showed that the American system of “Checks and Balances” DOES WORK
*Time: “Watergate Demonstrated that no person, not even the President, is above the law.”

10. U.S. History 3 Chapter 22 “A Crisis in Confidence: 1968-1980”
Chapter 22-2: The Ford and Carter Years

11. Ford Faces Political and Economic Woes
Gerald Ford: Wanted to restore people’s faith in government as fast as possible
*Pardon: Ford officially forgave Nixon in an attempt to move past the Watergate Scandal
Critics saw it as a way to help Nixon escape justice
Whip Inflation Now WIN: Ford’s plan to end inflation: Failed

12. A Washington “Outsider” Becomes President
Jimmy Carter: Americans saw Carter as an honest politician who had not been “corrupted” by the career politicians in Washington
Election of 1976: Carter Defeated Ford (297 Electoral Votes to 240)
Christian Fundamentalists- Group that believed in “literal” interpretation of the bible supported Carter
Carter called himself the “Citizen’s President”
Carter had a hard time passing bills because he did not have many “friends” in Washington
Amnesty: Carter polarized Americans when he pardoned Vietnam Draftees who “dodged” the draft

13. Problems Sap the Nations Confidence
Economic trouble continued to drag down the economy
Crisis in Confidence Speech: Carter called on Americans to conserve
*Many Americans thought that Carter was “blaming” them and not the “corrupt” government for the nation’s problems and became furious with carter
Federal Reserve: Under Carter, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates to help with inflation
“In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities, and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. But we’ve discovered that owning things and consuming things does not satisfy our longing for meaning. We’ve learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose.
The symptoms of this crisis of the American spirit are all around us. For the first time in the history of our country a majority of our people believe that the next five years will be worse than the past five years.”

14. Changing Values Stir Unease
Demography Affects Politics
Immigration trends and migration patterns shift political focus of country

15. The “Me” Generation Comes of Age
: Divorce rate had doubled
Twice as many children born out of wedlock
Meditation, Personal Fitness, Body Building and other “self-indulging” trends became more popular
1970: NYC Marathon= 100 People
1980: 14,000

16. T.V. Breaks New Ground
M*A*S*H*: Resonated with a society raised on war
Chico and the man: Minorities
Sanford and Son: Minorities
All in the Family
60 Minutes

17. Conservatives Reassert Traditional Values
Televangelists: Television Preachers: Jerry Falwell, Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson
*many conservatives saw America’s “social ills” as the direct cause of all of its problems (Drug use= crime; hippie lifestyle= high divorce rate; homosexual activity = AIDS…etc)
1973: Roe v. Wade: Legalized Abortion

18. Are Affirmative Action Programs Unfair?
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)
Supreme Court ruled that race can be a factor in education admissions but general quotas were unfair (race could be one of many factors; not the only factor)

19. U.S. History 3 Chapter 22 “A Crisis in Confidence: 1968-1980”
Chapter 22-3: Foreign Policy Troubles

20. Ford Continues Nixon’s Foreign Policies
Pursuing Détente: Ford wished to improve relations with the USSR
Helsinki Accords: European Nations (Including USSR) and U.S. officially acknowledge the common goal of protecting “human rights”-basic rights: Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness
SALT II: United States and USSR agree to limit nuclear arms

21. Trouble in Southeast Asia
U.S. did NOT intervene while the Khmer Rouge killed 1,500,000 of its own people
Mayaguez Incident: Khmer Rouge siezed an American Merchant ship off the coast of Cambodia: Ford ordered Marines to rescue the crew
Boat People: Vietnamese who fled Vietnam in 1975; over 1,000,000 fled and many eventually resettled in the United States

22. Carter Changes Course Relations with the Soviet Union “cool”
1979: USSR Invaded Afghanistan
Carter withdrew from SALT II and imposed sanctions: penalties on the USSR
1980: Carter Boycotted the Summer Olympics in Moscow and quit selling grain to the USSR

23. Carter Supports Human Rights in the Developing World
Developing World: Poor nations of Asia, Africa, and Latin America
Carter began to pull support from ruthless dictators the U.S. supported as a “buffer” from the USSR
Sandinistas: Came to power after U.S. pulled support of Nicaraguan Dictator

24. Carter’s Policies Get Mixed Results in Latin America
1980: Carter tried to improve relations with Cuba
1980: Fidel Castro: Dictator of Cuba sent Prisoners from Cuba to the U.S. –Americans were outraged
Panama Canal Zone: U.S. had control since 1903
1977: Carter negotiated to give canal zone back to Panama in 1999

25. Success and Setback in the Middle East
Israel and Egypt Agree to Peace
Camp David Accords: Egypt formally recognized Israel as a nation- First Arab Nation to do it
Israel withdrew its troops from the Sinai Peninsula between the two nations (Gained in 1967 War)
Egyptian President: Anwar Sadat (later assassinated)
Israeli Prime Minister: Menachem Begin

26. Iran Seizes American Hostages
1950’s: U.S. supported the Shah of Iran
1979: The Shah was dying of cancer and fled the country
Islamic Extremists took control of Iran
Ayatollah Khomeini: Muslim Cleric who took control
Carter allowed the Shah to enter the U.S, for Cancer Treatment
Radical students stormed the U.S. Embassy, in Tehren, and took 66 Hostages.
After Carter failed to negotiate the release of the Hostages, he ordered a rescue attempt
* The helicopter crashed killing 8 Americans
*Americans were outraged that Carter allowed “students” to defy the United States without consequences
* Hostages were held for 444 days
* They were released the same day Ronald Reagan was sworn in as President

27. 444 Days