60s, 70s, and 80s USH-8.2, 8.4

I. Political Spectrum Liberals (1960 – 1980) Government should be active in protecting rights and welfare Care for those that can’t Supported Johnson’s Great Society Supported Brown v Board Supported government regulation of banks and business Counterculture started from anti-Vietnam protests Woodstock Sexual revolution Drugs

I. Political Spectrum Conservatives (1960-1980) Thought government should stay out of people’s lives Tended to be baby boomers Welfare is too expensive Big gov’t threatens freedom Didn’t agree with Great Society “New Right” was Christian conservative group that grew in influence TV and radio shows

II. Women’s Rights National Organization for Women (NOW) To promote rights for and help women Equal Rights Amendment Passed Congress, but not the states Sandra Day O’Connor 1st female Supreme Court justice Nominated by Ronald Reagan Conservative except for abortion

III. President Johnson Civil Rights Act of 1964 Guaranteed rights for everyone Voting Rights Act of 1965 Enforcement of the 15th Amendment Great Society A continuation of the New Deal to improve Americans lives Especially AAs War on Poverty, Medicare, Medicaid

IV. President Nixon Limited civil rights and Great Society to gain white southern support Felt Americans were tired of big government Turned Democratic “solid South” into a strong Republican/conservative area Environmental laws Clean Air Act Clean Water Act Environmental Protection Agency Earth Day

IV. President Nixon Watergate Scandal The Democratic National Committee’s office was broken into Paid burglars w/money to re-elect Nixon Administration covered up the break-in Nixon felt that executive privilege protected him Taped conversations and deleted 18 minutes

IV. President Nixon Congress impeaches Nixon He resigned before he could be removed from office Many Americans begin to distrust government officials

V. President Ford Becomes president after Nixon’s resignation Pardons Nixon and leads to more distrust of officials OPEC begins oil embargo US energy crisis begins

VI. President Carter Wins Election of 1976 Energy crisis made people worry Pardon of Nixon made people mad Inflation increases and hurts middle class Iran takes American hostages from the embassy in Tehran Unable to negotiate their return

VII. President Reagan Reagan is elected in 1980 Creates “Reaganomics” Hostages freed on the day of his inauguration Creates “Reaganomics” Cutting taxes to the wealthy Cutting gov’t spending on social programs Thought money would “trickle down” from wealthy Use the money to open businesses that needed workers Opponents thought the opposite

VII. President Reagan US became more actively involved in fighting communism Created another arms race with Soviet Union Too expensive for communist economy to keep up USSR starts glasnost and perestroika to improve People in USSR begin to see how bad they have it Helps to end the Cold War