The Nixon Years

New Federalism

Nixon's idea to reduce hte ize of the national government by a transferring of certain powers back to the states; tried to reduce or eliminate many Great Society programs; imponuded or refused to release federal funds for several programs ($18 billion); Supreme Court ruled impoundment unconstitutional

Impound

to refuse to release federal funds; $18 billion

Southern Strategy

promises made by Nixon to turn traditionally democratic states; agreed to appoint only conservatives to the courts, oppose court order on busing to halt integration, and pick a Southerner for VP (Agnew)

Inflation

a general, sustained upward movement of prices for goodsd and services in an economy; occurs when “too much money is chasing too few goods"

Spiro Agnew

Nixon's vice president

Henry Kissinger

Nixon's national security advisor

Ping Pong Diplomacy

Mao Zedong invited the American ping pong team on a trip to China

Nixon Doctrine

US would support its allies facing military threats with economic and military aid rather than with ground troops; allies must take responsibility for maintaining peace and stability in their own countries; ex. Vietnamization

Purpose/outcome of Nixon going to China

improved relations would frighten Soviets into better relations with the US; US establisheed full diplomatic relation with the People's Republic of China

Detente

policy meant to ease tension with Cold War enemies (China and Soviet Union); build a more stable world

Mao Zedong

chairman of the People's Republic of China

Salt I Treaty

talks between SU and US to slow the ongoing arms race; limited each country's missile building systems; 5 year sow down building new offensive weapons; increase trade and scientific information

Leonid Brezhnev

Soviet Premier

Enemies List

created by Nixon and his administration to “screw our politica enemies"; reporters, politicians, educators, and entertainers were barred from the White House; some were targeted for tax audits, others were trailed by private detectives

Watergate

5 men broke into the Democratic National Committe Headquarters to get information and bug phones

Democratic National Committee Headquarters

headquarters for Democratic campaign

Committee to Re-Elect the President (CREEP)

tried to get Nixon reelected; funded the Watergate break in

John Mitchell

head of CREEP; controlled a secret fund for political espionage

John Dean

member of the White House council; testified Nixon deeply involved in the coverup; claimed he discussed burglary at least 35 times with Nixon- authorized hush money; Nixon denied any involvement, fired Dean; said Mitchell ordered the break in

James McCord

ex CIA; electronics expert for the burglars; sent a letter to Suricia; said he lied under oath; confirmed that it was a conspiracy

The Washington Post

newpaper that brought Watergate into the public's attention

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein

journalists for the Wahsington Post; began investigating the break in; at the arraignment hearing of he fibe burglars one of the burglars identified himself as a retired CIA employee

John Siricia

judge who refused to believe the burglars had acted alone

Alexander Butterfield

revealed automatic taping system that Nixon had secretly installed in the Oval Office

Saturday Night Massacre

people were being fired and resigning; reported on by Washington Post

Archibald Cox

special prosecutor appointed to investigate Watergate; subpoenaed 8 tapes from White House to confirm Dean's testimony

Smoking Gun Tapes

Nixon was implicated from the earliest days of the cover-up; authorized payment of hush money; attempted to use the CIA to interfere with the FBI investigation- taped conversation with Haldeman

Executive Privilege

principle stating that communication of the executive branch should remain confidential to protect nationa security

Impeachment

to remove a president from office

Rose Mary Woods

Nixon's secretary; demonstrated how she could have inadvertently erased parts of the tapes

W. Mark Felt

Deepthroat; told reporters to “follow the money"

Frank Wills

security guard at the Watergate hotel; discovered tape over the door lock on two separate occasions

Gerald Ford

Nixon appointed him for VP through 25th Amendment; when he became president he gave Nixon a full pardon

Nixon's Resignation Date

August 9 1974