NIXON FORD CARTER REAGAN US PRESIDENTS NIXON FORD CARTER REAGAN

NIXON PRESIDENCY 1968-1974 Wins Presidency after the assassination of RFK New Federalism OSHA – Occupation Safety and Health Admin. EPA and the Clean Air Act DEA – Drug Enforcement Agency Energy Reorganization Act – Nuclear Regulatory Commission Moon Shot - 1969 26th Amendment - 1971

NIXON’S PRESIDENCY FOREIGN POLICY Nixon Doctrine, 1969 China – reopening of relations in 1972 USSR – détente, visit in 1972 SALT

WATERGATE 1972 – Democratic Party Headquarters in the Watergate Hotel in Washington D.C. was broken into on June 17, 1972 Committee to Re-elect the President Wiretaps planted Linked back to the White House Nixon denied knowledge 1973 – Senate committee established to investigate

Watergate (cont’d) VP Spiro Agnew resigned when charged with income tax evasion Gerald Ford appointed new VP 1973 – White House tapes discovered Nixon refused to hand over tapes Supreme Court ordered tapes turned over (US v. Richard Nixon) Nixon resigned before impeachment charges are brought against him (August 9, 1974) Pardoned by Ford

Gerald Ford 1974-76 Assumes office after Nixon’s resignation Nixon’s pardon Amnesty Plan Inflation due to OPEC embargo Lost close election in 1976

Ford Foreign Policy End of Viet Nam War in 1975

JIMMY CARTER 1976-1980 Appeal of “Down Home Values” Faced a difficult Congress that questioned everything (hang-over from Nixon) Inflation continued Energy problems (OPEC) Corporation bailouts: Chrysler and Lockheed Acid Rain 3 Mile Island, 1979

Carter – Foreign Policy Helsinki Accords, 1973 Would withhold aid from any nation in violation of human rights Camp David Accords, 1977 Temporary agreement reached USSR – Afghanistan Olympic boycott Iranian Hostage Crisis, 1979 Agreed to return canal to Panama in 1999

RONALD REAGAN 1980-1988 Return to the “Good Old Days” Conservative approach to government Supply Side Economics/Reagonomics Reduce taxes for businesses and wealthy Balanced Budget – reduced Gov. spending by cutting social welfare programs Star Wars – Strategic defense initiative Immigration 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act Forbid hiring of undocumented workers

Reagan – Foreign Policy Tough against Communism USSR – THE EVIL EMPIRE Poland – sanctions when Solidarity banned Central America: aid to present Communism from spreading Middle East – Lebanon – US troops sent in as part of UN initiative (Christians v. Muslims) Iran Contra Affair, 1986 – aides sold weapons to Iran in exchange for help in freeing US hostages in Lebanon. Money was then sent to contras in Nicaragua against Congressional orders. Reagan cleared, buy Col. Oliver North convicted. End of the Cold War-”Tear down that wall”