Theme 1 overview

  1. A changing presidency: a decline in confidence, 1968-80

  2. Influences on the political landscape; liberalism, counter-culture and the conservative reaction 1960-80

  3. The impact of war on domestic politics; the impact of involvement in Vietnam

A decline in confidence

By 1979, 41% of Americans believed their country was in ‘deep and serious trouble’.

Many blamed Carter, yet he had inherited issues;

  • presidency was greatly weakened

  • Vietnam war and countercultural protests had divided and disillusioned Americans

  • Energy and economic crises

Americans were humiliated by the Vietnam defeat and the 1979 American hostage crisis in Iran.

Pentagon Papers

A department of Defense study of U.S political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967, published by Daniel Ellsberg.

Completed in 1969, bound into 47 volumes.

Condemning information about the presidency; Kennedy administration had actively helped overthrow and assassinate South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem in 1963. Intensive bombing of North Vietnam and it having no real impact on the enemy’s will to fight.

Impact: It confirmed many people’s suspicions about the active role the government had in building up the conflict. Nixon was up for re-election in 1972, while it didn’t include his policies it was still a damning reflection of the government.

Nixon’s administration had Ellsberg and an accomplice, Russo indicted on charges including conspiracy, stealing government property. The cause was dropped after the ‘plumbers’ had burglarized Ellsberg’s psychiatrists’ office in Sept 1971.

The plumbers, Hunt and Liddy were later involved in Watergate.

Carter’s ‘crisis of confidence’ speech, 15 July 1979

‘too many of us tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption’

‘the.. gap between our citizens and our government has never been so wide’

The impact of involvement in Vietnam

  • roughly 56 000 Americans died, 300 000 were injured

  • contributed to decline in faith in American power; by 1980, 62% of Americans felt their country was ‘becoming weaker’

  • Nixon faced more criticism while trying to end the Vietnam war than Johnson ever did.