1. Chapter 24: An Age of Limits

2. Section 1: The Nixon Administration

3. New Federalism
Nixon’s plan to give more financial freedom to state and local govts.
Decrease the size of the federal govt.
Revenue sharing = state and local govts. could decide how to spend federal money

4. Welfare Reform
Family Assistance Plan (FAP) – every family of four receives $1,600 a year and have to accept any reasonable work
Senate does not approve it

5. Social Programs Social Security Medicare Food stamps
Nixon Increases Fed. $
Nixon Decreases Fed. $
Social Security
Medicare
Food stamps
Impounded (withheld) $15 billion for housing, health, education
Ended the Office of Economic Opportunity

6. Law and Order Politics Peace negotiations with N. Vietnam
End Urban Riots and Protests
Peace negotiations with N. Vietnam
FBI, CIA, Internal Revenue Service target antiwar and civil rights activists

7. Nixon’s Southern Strategy
Since Reconstruction the South had been mainly Democratic
White Southern Democrats are losing faith in their “liberal” party (anti-Great Society and Civil Rights)
Nixon tries to reverse civil rights policies by delaying desegregation plans for schools
Supreme Court orders Nixon to change policies
Opposes the extension of the Voting Rights Act
Opposes integration of schools through busing
Appoints 3 conservative judges to the Supreme Court

8. Questions 1. What was the goal of Nixon’s New Federalism?
2. In what ways did Nixon both strengthen and weaken federal programs?
3. Why had many Democratic voters in the South become potential Republican supporters by 1968?
4. Why did Pres. Nixon oppose the extension of the Voting Rights Act?

9. Section 4: Environmental Activism
1962 – Rachel Carson – publishes Silent Spring
Pesticides – chemicals used to kill insects and rodents – were dangerous
Americans realize human behavior and our nation’s industrial growth have a damaging effect

10. Environmental Concerns – 1970s
April 22,1970 – first Earth Day – almost every community in the country hosts an environmental – awareness activity
1970 – Nixon brings 15 existing fed. pollution programs into the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and signs the Clean Air Act
1971 – Nixon signs Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and Carter furthers it in 1978

11. Environmental Concerns – 1970s
Nuclear power plants seem like a good alternative to foreign oil but scientists warn about health risks
1979 – nuclear reactor at a plant on Three Mile Island (Penn) malfunctions and low level radiation escapes
100,000 residents are evacuated but no one dies

12. A Continuing Movement
“Why worry about the long run, when you’re out of work right now?”
-unemployed steelworker