Richard Nixon: Domestic and Foreign Policy Study Guide

Classroom Guidelines and Objectives

• Cell Phone Policy:

  • The use of cell phones is strictly prohibited during the lesson.
  • If a phone is observed out during the lesson, students will lose privileges and the devices must be placed in the designated wall holders.

• Learning Target:

  • Students should be able to trace the political reemergence of President Richard Nixon.
  • Students should be able to describe Nixon's various domestic and foreign policies.

• Course and Faculty:

  • Instructor: Scornavacco.
  • Course: $US$ History-$2$.

Presidential Profile: Richard M. Nixon

• Basic Information:

  • Richard M. Nixon served as the $37\text{th}$ President of the United States from $1969$ to $1974$.

• Foundational Philosophy:

  • Quote: "Always give your best, never get discouraged, never be petty; always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself…"

• Biographical Background:

  • Hometown: Yorba Linda, $CA$.
  • Education/Career Start: Lawyer.
  • Military Service: Veteran of the United States Navy during World War $II$.

• The Political Resume (Pre-Presidency):

  • United States House of Representatives ($CA$): $1947$-$1950$.
  • United States Senator ($CA$): $1950$-$1953$.
  • Vice President of the United States (under President Dwight D. Eisenhower): $1953$-$1961$.

• The Period of Defeat and Resurrection:

  • Nixon lost the $1960$ Presidential Election to John F. Kennedy.
  • Nixon lost the $1962$ California Gubernatorial Race.
  • Following these losses, he moved to New York City, $NY$, where he practiced law.
  • By $1968$, he emerged as the Republican Party presidential nominee.
  • Running Mate: Governor Spiro Agnew ($R$-$MD$).

The Political Resurrection: The 1968 Election

• Election Dynamics:

  • Nixon’s campaign focused on the emergence of the "Silent Majority."

• Election Outcomes ($1968$ Actual):

  • The threshold required to win the presidency was $270$ electoral votes.
  • Richard Nixon ($R$): Received $301$ electoral votes.
  • Hubert Humphrey ($D$): Received $191$ electoral votes.

• Key Electoral Counts by State:

  • California ($CA$): $40$
  • New York ($NY$): $43$
  • Pennsylvania ($PA$): $29$
  • Illinois ($IL$): $26$
  • Ohio ($OH$): $26$
  • Texas ($TX$): $25$
  • Florida ($FL$): $14$
  • Michigan ($MI$): $21$

Domestic Policy: New Federalism and Reform

• Broad Political Spectrum:

  • Nixon’s domestic policies were not strictly conservative; they covered the entire political spectrum from liberal to conservative.

• Key Domestic Initiatives:

  • Family Assistance Plan ($\text{FAP}$): A proposal for welfare reform.
  • Voting Rights Act of $1965$: Nixon supported the renewal of this landmark legislation.
  • Affirmative Action: Under Nixon's administration, an Executive Order was issued to promote affirmative action.
  • Social Security Adjustments: Implemented automatic cost-of-living adjustments for individuals receiving Social Security benefits.
  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration ($\text{OSHA}$): Established this agency to oversee workplace safety and health standards.

• New Federalism:

  • The primary goal of New Federalism was to reduce the overall size and influence of the federal government.
  • This policy aimed to shift power and financial resources back to cities and states to manage local needs.

Foreign Policy: Realpolitik and Dtente

• Key Strategists:

  • Nixon worked closely with Henry Kissinger, who served as National Security Advisor and later as Secretary of State.

• Philosophy of Realism:

  • Nixon and Kissinger prioritized "realism" (realpolitik) over "idealism." Realism focuses on practical, national interests and power dynamics rather than moralistic or purely ideological goals.

• Groundbreaking Diplomacy with China:

  • On February $22$, $1972$, Richard Nixon became the first United States President to visit the communist People's Republic of China.

• Relations with the Soviet Union ($\text{USSR}$):

  • $\text{SALT I}$ (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks): Signed on May $22$, $1972$, this treaty limited the total number of long-range offensive missiles that both the US and the USSR could possess.
  • Anti-Ballistic Missiles ($\text{ABM}$): Both nations signed an agreement to stop the production of antiballistic missiles for a period of $5$ years.
  • Dtente: The summit meeting in Moscow established a foundation for dtente, which refers to the easing of strained relations and geopolitical tensions between the superpowers.

Middle East Conflict and the Oil Crisis

• The Yom Kippur War ($1973$):

  • The war began on October $6$, $1973$, when Egypt and Syria launched a coordinated attack on Israel on two different fronts.
  • The United States provided critical support to Israel by airlifting military supplies.
  • The conflict lasted less than $3$ weeks.
  • International resolution was achieved when United Nations ($UN$) officials successfully negotiated a cease-fire.

• The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries ($\text{OPEC}$) Embargo:

  • In response to US support for Israel, Middle Eastern countries within $\text{OPEC}$ initiated an oil embargo.
  • An embargo is defined as an official ban on exports—in this case, oil—to the United States.

The Environmental Movement and Nixon’s Legacy

• Early Environmental Awareness:

  • Marine biologist Rachel Carson published Silent Spring in $1962$, which alerted the public to the dangers of $\text{DDT}$ ($\text{dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane}$) entering the food chain.
  • Major environmental organizations grew in influence during this era, including The Sierra Club, the Wilderness Society, and the League of Conservation Voters.

• Conflict and Opposition:

  • The environmental movement faced opposition from those who argued that environmental laws led to overregulation and the violation of private property rights.

• Nixon’s Environmental Resume Highlights:

  • The modern environmental movement solidified during the Nixon presidency.
  • January $1$, $1970$: Nixon signed the National Environmental Policy Act ($\text{NEPA}$).
  • April $20$, $1970$: The United States celebrated its first-ever Earth Day.
  • Environmental Protection Agency ($\text{EPA}$): Nixon established the agency responsible for environmental oversight.
  • Legislation: Nixon's tenure saw the passage of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act.

Questions & Discussion

• Reflective Prompt (Bellringer): Have you ever achieved something important because you refused to give up and simply kept trying?

• Foreign Policy Analysis: What does realism mean in the context of Nixon and Kissinger, as opposed to idealism?

• Economic Impact Discussion: What was the expected effect of the $\text{OPEC}$ oil embargo on the US economy? What are some modern ways we can help lower gas prices today?

• Personal Stewardship: What do you do each day to protect the environment?

• Workshop Task: Environmental Problems and Solutions T-Chart:

  • Step $1$: Students are required to research local or modern environmental issues.
  • Step $2$: Create a T-Chart on paper.
  • The left side must list $3$ specific environmental problems.
  • The right side must list $3$ potential solutions corresponding to those problems.

• Message to Young Americans: References "Wise Words: A Message To Young Americans" as part of the pedagogical conclusion.