Nixon: Domestic and Social Policies (1969-1974)

What was behind context behind welfare reform and the sorting out ‘Welfare Mess’ during the Nixon Presidency?

Context: In 1968, 84% of Americans believe to many people were receiving welfare while being able to work.

Nixon’s Campaign: He promised to eliminate ‘wasteful, inefficient' Great Society programs and clean up what he called the ‘welfare mess’.

The Targets: He aimed to reduce spending that ‘Middle America’ resented, specifically targeting programs for housing and youth.

Conservative Wins:

• Successfully shrank the OEO (Office of Economic Opportunity).

• Closed 59 Job Crops centres.

• Cut Federal fundings for housing and youth programs.

What was the Family Assistance Plan (FAP)?

Goal: Nixon’s attempt to reform the welfare system.

Provisions:

• Recipients would receive $1,600 a year.

• Strict work requirements were included.

• Aim to decrease the number of government bureaucrats/

Why it failed (1972):

• Liberals hated the work requirements and low payment.

• Conservatives were ‘alienated’ because it actually made 13 million more people eligible for aid.

• Outcome: Congress rejected it in 1972.

What was Nixon’s Pragmatic Paradox?

The ‘Conservative’ Veto: He vetoed the 1971 Child Development Act, calling it too expensive and claiming it ‘smacked of Communism’ because it provided free childcare.

The ‘Liberal’ Reality: Despite his rhetoric, Nixon was a ‘moderate, pragmatic Republican’.

• He left many of Johnson’s programs intact due to a Democrat-controlled Congress.

• Increased spending on education, private healthcare, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

• Fact: Nixon actually spent more on social programs than LBJ did.

What was Nixon’s Women’s Rights?

• Social Conservatism: Nixon was a social conservative on abortion, which upset many women’s rights activists.

Progressive Actions:

• Ordered the Justice/Labor Departments to combat gender discrimination in employment.

• Appointed more women to high-level government positions.

Supreme Court Controversy: He considered appointing Rita Hauser as the first female Justice but changed his mind after she expressed support for same-sex marriage, saying, ‘I can’t go that far’.

What were the Domestic Issues that Nixon prioritised?

When Nixon too office, his three most pressing domestic issues were:

1. Social Problems: Specifically poverty, race relations, and ‘law and order’.

2. Protest Movements: Handling the social unrest of the late 1960s.

3. The Economy: Managing the transition from the 1960s boom.

Key Revision Tip: For your exam, focus on the contradiction between Nixon’s conservative rhetoric (anti-welfare) and his actual actions (increased social spending).

What was the situation with School Desegregation & Busing during the Nixon presidency?

The Progress: Southern black schoolchildren in segregated schools dropped from 68% in 1968 to 8% by 1872 (mostly due to SCOTUS rulings).

The Conflict: The SCOTUS order ‘immediate; desegregation (1969) and sanctioned busing (1971) to end de facto segregation in the North.

Nixon’s Stance: * Public attacked busing as ‘wrenching’ children from families.

• Told the Justice Department to do ‘only what the law requires and not one thing more’.

• Tried (and failed) to get a Constitutional amendment against busing.

Long-term Impact: Nixon appointed conservative judges who eventually halted busing in Detroit (Milliken v. Bradley, 1974) effectively allowing de facto segregation to continue.

What did Nixon do with Affirmative Action (The Philadelphia Plan)?

The Rhetoric: Nixon claimed it dislike Affirmative Action, calling it ‘reverse discrimination’.

The Reality: His administration actually entrenched it.

The Philadelphia Plan: Pressed federal contractors to hire more workers from minority ethnic groups.

Historical Note: This is a prime example of the ‘gap between what he said and what he did’. His promotion of these policies ensured their survival in federal agencis for decades.

What was the situation between Protests and ‘Middle America’?

Public Sentiment: A 1969 Newsweek poll showed 84% of Americans felt student demonstrators were treated too leniency.

The ‘Greatest Ever’ Protests: In Autumn 1969, tens of thousands marched on the White House against the Vietnam War.

Escalation (1970): When Nixon extended the war into Cambodia, protests erupted in 80% of US universities,

Tragedy: Frequent clashes between students and the National Guard, most famously at Kent State, Ohio and Jackson State.

Where the trends behind Law and Order response to the Protest movements (1969-1970)?

Violence on Campus: In Spring 1969 alone, 300 colleges had demonstrations; 20% involved bombings or trashing buildings.

The ‘Bombing’ Crisis:

• 1969: 602 bombings or attempted bombings.

• 1970: 1,577 bombings or attempted bombings.

Responsibility: 56% of bombings were from campus disorders, 19% from black extremists, and 14% from white extremists.

Result: This chaos fueled Nixon’s ‘Law and Order’ mandate as Middle America grew disgusted with the violence.

What happened with the Radical Student Action & why was Cambodia an Turning point?

Autumn 1969: The US saw it’s largest-ever anti war protests, with thens of thousands marching on the White House and in major cities.

Radicalisation of Protests:

• San Diego: Anti-Capitalist students set fire to banks.

• University of Colorado: Students blew up buildings after scholarship funds for Black Students were frozen.

• Yale Law School: A pro-Black Panther demonstration resulted in library books being set on fire.

The Cambodia Invasion (Spring 1970): When Nixon extended the Vietnam War into Cambodia, it acted as a massive catalyst for unrest.

• Protests erupted in over 80% of American universities.

• Increased frequency of clashes between students and law enforcement/National Guard,

Key Groups involved: SDS (Students for a Democratic Society), Black Student Organisation and the Yippies (led by Jerry Rubin).

What happened with the incidents in Kent State and Jackson State?

Kent State (Ohio): Following firebombing of an ROTC building, the National Guard panicked and shot into a crowd, killing four students (two of whom were just walking to class) and wounding eleven.

Jackson State (Mississippi): One week later, at this predominately Black university, two students were killed and twelve wounded by police.

Nixon’s Reaction: He blamed the ‘politics of violence' and famously referred to student protestors as ‘these bums… blowing up the campuses’.

Public Split: White some feared government tyranny, over half of Americans blamed the students for the Kent State tragedy. Middle America viewed protestors as ‘privileged children’ of the upper class.

What was Nixon’s Strategies for Dealing with Protests?

Nixon used a ‘carrot and stick’ approach to neutralise the anti-war movement:

The ‘Carrot’ (Softening the blow):

• Timed U.S. troop withdrawals from Vietnam to undercut protest momentum.

• Draft Reform: In 1972, he ensured students over 20 weren’t called up; in 1973, he removed the draft entirely.

The ‘Stick’ (Hardline tactics):

• Threatened to end federal scholarships/loans for convicted students radicals.

• Order surveillance of disruptive groups.

• Legal Warfare: 10,000 were arrested in DC in 1970. Whilst most cases were thrown out, the legal fees kept protestors ‘too busy and too broke’ to organise.

Why did the protests decline?

By the early 1970s, the mass protest movement began to fade for several reasons:

• Government Pressure: Harsh treatment of radicals (e.g. 28 Black Panthers killed in 1969; prosecution of the Chicago Eight).

• Movement Implosion: The ‘New Left’ realised the authorities wouldn’t grant their demands.

• Internal Division: Radical groups became fractured. Some (like the Weathermen) turned to revolutionary terrorism, while other felt activism was a ‘waste of time’.

• Exhaustion: Many radicals simply burned out after years of confrontation.

Key terms and moments about the Protests during the Period?

• The Chicago Eight: New Left leaders charged with conspiracy for inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention. Their convictions were eventually overturned, but the trial was a major point of fricition.

• Lincoln Memorial Visit: An impromptu, ‘absurd’ midnight meeting where Nixon tried to relate to protestors by talking about football and surfing. The students were left unimpressed.

• V-for-Victory: Nixon’s defiant signature gesture, often used even when being pelted with eggs and rocks by demonstrators.

Why was the Economy Faltering in 1969 during Nixon’s presidency?

Nixon inherited several major economic hurdles that singled the end of the post-WWII prosperity:

• Inflation: Running at 4.7% (high for the era).

• Federal Deficit: A massive gap in the budget fueled by years of spending.

• Industrial Decline: Productivity in American industry was falling.

• Trade Problems: A flood of imports from Japan and Germany endangered the U.S balance of trade, meaning more money was leaving the country than coming in.

What is the New Economic Policy (NEP) - August 1971

By August 1971, the economy hit a crisis point with rising unemployment and a trade deficit. Nixon took drastic action:

• Wage-Price Freeze: He froze all wages and prices for 90 days to half inflation (the first time this happened in peacetime).

• Devaluation of the Dollar: He devalued the dollar to make U.S. exports cheaper and more competitive globally.

• Public Reaction: The NEP was a hit, receiving a 75% approval rating.

• The ‘Nixon Shock’: He effectively ended the old international money system where the dollar was tied to gold.

How did the Economic Failures link to the Watergate?

• Ineffectiveness: The devaluation didn’t solve the underlying structural issues of the US economy.

• The Great Inflation: When Nixon abandoned the wage/price controls in Juky 1973, prices rocketed.

• Distraction: By the time the economy spiraled, Nixon was too preoccupied with the Watergate scandal to provide effective leadership.

• The Energy Crisis: The situation was further worsened by a developing energy deficit (as the post-war ear of cheap, easy energy came to an end).

What was the situation with the Energy Deficit?

• The Shift: In the 30 years after WWII, the US moved from energy self-sufficiency to an energy deficit.

• Consumption: Whilst only 6% of the world’s population, Americans consumed one-third of the world’s oil.

• Imports: Roughly 30% of the oil used in the US was imported, mostly from the Middle East.

• Vulnerability: This dependence made the U.S. economy extremely sensitive to political instability in oil-producing regions.

What was the situation with the 1973 Oil Embargo?

• The Cause: Nixon’s support for Israel in the 1973 Arab-Israeli War triggered a backlash from Arab nations.

• OPEC’s reactions: The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) placed an oil embargo on the United States.

• The Price Shock: Following the embargo, there was a staggering 387% increase in the price of oil.

• End of an Era: This destroyed the ‘cheap oil’ foundation that has fueled post-war economic growth and prosperity.

What was the impact of the Oil crisis on American Life?

• Cost of Living: The rocketing cost of heating oil and petrol (gasoline) contributed to a massive rise in the cost of living.

• National Mood: Even though the American standard of living remained the highest in the world, the crisis made the public increasingly gloomly about the nation future.

• Economic Context: The energy crisis hit just as Nixon was distracted by Watergate and the economy was already suffering from the ‘Great Inflation’.

What happened with the Landslide Re-election of 1972?

• The Result: Nixon won 60.7% of the popular vote, carrying every state excempt Massachusetts.

Why Nixon won:

• Foreign Policy Success: Voters were pleased by improved relations with the USSR and China, plus the withdrawal of troops from Vietnam.

• ‘Peace is at Hand’: Kissinger’s announcement just before the election gave voters hope that the war was ending.

• Middle America: He successfully retained the support of the ‘Silent Majority’.

What was the Paradox of the 1972 Victory?

• A Divided Government: Despite Nixon’s personal landslide, the Democrats kept control of Congress (House and Senate).

• Historical First: Nixon was the only president to win two terms without his party ever holding a majority in either house.

• The Outcome: This lack of Congressional support, combined with the emerging Watergate scandal, meant Nixon faced ‘tremendous problems’ during his second term, ultimately leading to his downfall.

What were the ‘3As’ - Branding the opposition to McGovern in 1972?

The Concept: in 1972, Republicans successfully destroyed Democrat George McGovern’s reputation by linking him to three radical pillars.

The Pillars:

• Acid: Suggesting he was soft on drug culture/legalisation.

• Abortion: Highlighting his support for reproductive rights (alienating Catholic and Southern voters).

• Amnesty: His plan to pardon Vietnam War draft dodgers.

Impact: This made McGovern appear as a ‘counter-culture’ extremists to Middle America.

How did ‘Silent Majority’ help enable for Nixon to win the 1972 Election?

Who they were: The ‘Middle America’ voters who weren’t out protesting - hardworking, tax-paying citizens who resented the chaos of the late 60s.

Nixon’s Appeals: He promised ‘Law and Order’ and a return to ‘traditional values’.

Statistics of Support:

• 1969 Poll: 84% of Americans tought student demonstrators were treated too leniency.

• 1972 Blue-Collar Shift: Nixon too 52% of the blue-collar vote (unions traditionally voted Democrat).