1. NIXON’S AND WATERGATE Sec. 31-2 Pages 901-908
Define: Revenue sharing – affirmative action – stagflation – deficit – impeachment – amnesty – underemployment
Identify: Spiro Agnew – Gerald Ford-
Watergate Scandal – Helsinki Accords
25th Amendment – 26th Amendment

2. Nixon’s Domestic Programs
Pledged bring law and order back to US
Crack down on crime – give federal funds to help state and city police
Federal courts should be tougher on criminals
Appointed Warren Burger (Chief Justice), Harry Blackmun, Lewis Powell and William Rehnquist to Supreme Court
26th Amendment (1971)- Voting rights given to 18 year olds – unfair to ask them to fight without being allowed to vote.

3. New Federalism
Vowed to reduce government’s role in people’s lives – cut federal spending
Revenue sharing –money raised from federal taxes and given to the states for use at the state and local level. (1972 Law)
Abolished LBJ’s Great Society programs that failed

4. Civil Rights
Civil rights – opposed busing to integrate, yet promoted affirmative action (an active effort to improve educational and employment opportunities for minority groups and women)
Started new agencies:
OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Admin) – ensure workers’ safety
EPA ( Environmental Protection Agency) – protect the environment

5. Economic Problems
Industry –manufacturing declined due to foreign competition
Businesses and consumers struggled with inflation – rise in prices of goods/services
High unemployment and slow economic growth
Nixon tried to reduce inflation
Cut federal spending
Interest rates rose
Stagflation- a combination of rising prices and a sluggish economy with relatively high unemployment

6. Economic Problems Nixon froze wages – economy remained in recession
Increased federal spending to stimulate economy
Created a budget deficit –shortage that occurs when spending is greater than income.

7. Energy Crisis
1973- OPEC (Org. of Petroleum Exporting Countries) placed embargo on all oil shipments to US – raised prices
Companies had to lay off workers – others raised prices
Consumers angry at long lines at gas stations
Asked people to conserve energy – reduced speed limits – began domestic oil development - Alaska

8. Campaign for president
Loyal aides - John Ehrlichman(chief domestic adviser) and H.R. Haldeman (chief of staff) and John Mitchell (CRP director) helped Nixon get reelected
Produced “enemies list”- people unfriendly to administration – Ordered FBI and IRS to investigate some
Campaign committee collected millions to create “the plumbers”- secret group to stop leaks of information that would hurt Nixon.

9. Election of 1972 Republican - Richard Nixon – Pres. Spiro Agnew – V.P.
Dem. – George McGovern ( Sen. S. Car.)
Nixon won 61% of popular vote –
520 – 17 electoral votes

10. WATERGATE CRISIS
June 17,1972- “Plumbers” led by James McCord (former CIA agent) broke into Democratic National Committee headquarters to install phone listening devices – bugs.
After break in discovered, shredded documents – CIA asked FBI to stop investigation on grounds of nat’l security
June 17th – Police called – arrested Gordon Hunt – E. Howard Hunt – paid by White House funds – White House denied any involvement.

11. Watergate Investigation
Washington Post reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, published series on linking burglary to Nixon’s campaign.
Jan. 1973, Fed. Dist. Court Judge, John Sirica, presided over trial – Burglar, James McCord, admitted White House lied- Nixon involved.
Senate held hearings to investigate .
Apr. 1973, Nixon fires John Dean, W.H. counsel - aides Haldeman and Ehrlichman resigned. Nixon went on TV- “I am not a crook” and appointed
Atty Gen. Elliot Richardson to investigate.

12. Watergate Investigation
Special prosecutor, Archibald Cox appointed to investigate Watergate scandal.
May 1973, Senate hearings, chaired by Sam Ervin (N.Car.Sen), learned there was a cover-up –John Dean told Nixon directed it.
July secret taping system revealed – all conversations in president’s offices were recorded. Ervin and Cox demanded tapes.
Pres. Nixon refused – claimed executive privilege – insisting release of tapes would endanger national security. Nixon orders Atty Gen Richardson to fire Cox. He refused and resigned.

13. Saturday Night Massacre
Nixon eventually fires special prosecutor Archibald Cox ( along with others who refused to do it when Nixon ordered it)- replaced by Leon Jaworski.
Meanwhile, V.P. Spiro Agnew had taken bribes from engineering firms while governor of Maryland ).
Oct Agnew resigned – Nixon appointed Gerald Ford ( Mich. Repub. Leader of the House of Rep.) as new VP.
th Amendment – President now can designate who will be V. Pres. when there is a vacancy (confirmed by majority of both houses)

14. Impeachment
March Grand jury indicted 7 aides on conspiracy, obstruction of justice and perjury.
House of Rep. began process of impeachment
( constitutional provision to remove a president
from office)
Senate would hold trial – 2/3 needed to remove
April 1974 – Nixon released printed copies of some tapes – edited – missing info – still refused to hand over unedited tapes

15. Impeachment Sup. Court ruled Nixon had to turn over tapes.
End of July – House Judiciary Committee
charged president with obstruction of justice – abuse of power – contempt of Congress
Aug. 5 – Nixon released tapes – president had ordered cover up of break in – linked Nixon to Watergate – agreed to obstruct FBI’s investigation.

16. Resignation
Aug. 8, 1974 Nixon resigned on TV – admitted no guilt – merely said his judgments “were wrong”.
VP Gerald Ford became 1st president never elected to office of President or VP
Pres. Ford selected Nelson Rockefeller(NY) as VP
Sept. 8,1974- Ford pardons Pres. Nixon – could not be prosecuted. Eventually, 25 members of Nixon’s administration were convicted- served prison terms.
Americans angry that Nixon not punished

17. Ford’s Term Starts
Dec – Americans learned CIA spying on some citizens – FBI had secret files.
Pres. Ford ordered special commissions to investigate FBI and CIA
Congress will create new laws to regulate these two agencies.
Ford’s offered amnesty ( protection from prosecution) to men who illegally avoided military service in Vietnam – had to perform national service

18. Foreign Policy Relied on Sec. of State, Henry Kissinger
Late Ford and Brezhnev agreed to limit nuclear weapons
July 1975 – Helsinki Accords ( Finland) – US, Soviet Union and Western nations pledged to respect human rights and civil liberties of their citizens.
Mao Zedong died in 1976 – new leadership wanted to expand economic and political ties to US

19. Economy in US
American products had to compete with cheaper Japanese and European goods
US suffered from underemployment –condition when people work at jobs for which they are overqualified or that do not utilize their skills
OPEC kept oil prices high – helped contribute to inflation.

20. Ford’s Response
Whip Inflation Now (WIN) – voluntary program of wage and price controls
Americans to save money – plant gardens
US headed into recession
2. Cut government spending
Democratic controlled Congress wanted to spend on social programs – Ford vetoed.
Ford asked Congress to pass tax cut – did not help nation overall.

21. SUMMARIZE