Nixon and Ford's Presidency

Silent Majority

Middle-class, suburban, predominantly white Americans Nixon appealed to who felt alienated by 1960s radical social movements.

Southern Strategy

Nixon's approach to attract white Southern Democrats to the Republican Party by capitalizing on backlash against the Civil Rights Movement.

Philadelphia Plan

A 1969 policy requiring federal contractors to hire minority workers, representing an early form of affirmative action.

War on Drugs

Nixon's campaign that declared drug abuse 'public enemy number one', leading to aggressive policing policies.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

A federal agency established by Nixon in 1970 to enforce regulations for environmental protection.

Clean Air Act

A significant piece of legislation signed by Nixon in 1970 aimed at controlling air pollution.

Stagflation

An economic condition of high inflation combined with high unemployment, which Nixon faced during his presidency.

Bretton Woods System

The monetary system that established fixed exchange rates based on the gold standard, which Nixon ended in 1971.

Vietnamization

Nixon's strategy to withdraw U.S. troops from Vietnam while training South Vietnamese forces to take over.

Paris Peace Accords

The 1973 agreement that ended U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

Nixon's Visit to China (1972)

A significant diplomatic move that opened relations between the U.S. and China, impacting Cold War dynamics.

SALT I Treaty

The first major arms control agreement between the U.S. and the USSR, signed in 1972.

Watergate Scandal

A political scandal involving a break-in at the DNC headquarters and subsequent cover-up, leading to Nixon's resignation.

Ford's pardon of Nixon

A controversial decision by President Ford intended to heal the nation, but which resulted in public cynicism.

Whip Inflation Now (WIN)

A voluntary program initiated by Ford in 1974 aimed at encouraging American savings and spending reductions.

Helsinki Accords

An agreement that recognized post-WWII borders and included human rights provisions, signed during Ford's presidency.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

A proposed amendment to guarantee equal rights for women, which Ford supported but did not achieve ratification.

Energy Independence

Ford's advocacy for the United States to reduce reliance on foreign oil, responding to the 1973 OPEC oil embargo.

Political Realignment

The shift toward conservative politics, initiated by Nixon's strategies, which laid groundwork for the GOP's dominance.

Reagan's supply-side revolution

An economic policy shift that emerged after the failures of Keynesian economics during Nixon and Ford's presidencies.

Mass incarceration

The significant increase in the prison population, particularly among minority communities, spurred by Nixon's War on Drugs.

Cold War diplomacy

The strategic foreign relations and military engagements during the Cold War, notably reshaped by Nixon and Ford.

Polarized political era

The political landscape defined by increased division and distrust in government following the presidencies of Nixon and Ford.