Nixon Years Study Guide Notes

Nixon Years Study Guide

Economy in the Late 1960s

  • Two factors that caused economic trouble:
    • Spending on the Vietnam War: The financial burden of the war diverted resources from domestic programs and contributed to inflation.
    • Great Society Programs: President Lyndon B. Johnson's ambitious social programs, while aiming to reduce poverty and racial injustice, increased government spending.

Nixon's Price Controls

  • Nixon attempted to control prices through wage and price freezes.
  • These measures were not successful in the long term. While they provided temporary relief, they distorted the market and led to shortages.

Stagflation

  • The economic situation characterized by high unemployment and high inflation simultaneously was termed "stagflation."

Chief Justice Appointment

  • Warren Burger was picked to replace Earl Warren as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Nixon's Supporters

  • People who supported Nixon were often referred to as the "Silent Majority."

Nixon's First Vice President

  • Spiro Agnew was Nixon's first vice president.

Rachel Carson

  • Rachel Carson was a marine biologist and environmentalist.
  • She wrote "Silent Spring," which documented the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment, particularly DDT.

Environmental Problems and Nixon's Response

  • Major environmental problems in the 1960s:
    • Air and water pollution
    • Pesticide contamination
    • Loss of natural habitats
  • Two acts passed by Nixon to address these problems:
    • Clean Air Act of 1970: Established national air quality standards and required states to develop plans to meet them.
    • Clean Water Act of 1972: Regulated the discharge of pollutants into the nation's waters and set water quality standards.

Sierra Club

  • The Sierra Club is an environmental organization founded in 1892 that advocates for the protection of wilderness and natural resources.

Ralph Nader

  • Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate and author.
  • He wrote "Unsafe at Any Speed," which criticized the automotive industry for its lack of safety features.

Nixon's Foreign Affairs Envoy

  • Henry Kissinger was the person Nixon sent on most all foreign affairs missions. He served as National Security Advisor and later as Secretary of State.

Realpolitik

  • Realpolitik is a foreign policy approach based on practical considerations of power rather than ideology or morality.
  • ELCO Language Explanation: “Do what benefits your country and helps you stay strong, even if it means dealing with people you don't agree with.”

Nixon's Peace with Communist China

  • Nixon made peace with Communist China in 1972.
  • Factors that helped this breakthrough:
    • Secret negotiations: Kissinger's secret trips to China paved the way for Nixon's visit.
    • Shared strategic interests: Both the U.S. and China saw the Soviet Union as a potential threat.

Major Issue Between the U.S. and China

  • The major issue between the United States and China was the status of Taiwan. The U.S. recognized the Republic of China (Taiwan) as the legitimate government of China, while the People's Republic of China (mainland China) viewed Taiwan as a breakaway province.

Nixon and Brezhnev Treaty

  • Nixon and Brezhnev signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I).
  • SALT I:
    • Limited the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) each country could possess.

Détente

  • Détente is the easing of tensions between countries, particularly between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
  • Détente's effectiveness in Third World countries: Détente did not always work well in Third World countries, as conflicts and proxy wars continued despite improved relations between the superpowers.

Chile in 1970

  • In Chile in 1970, Salvador Allende, a socialist, was elected president. The United States, under Nixon, worked to undermine Allende's government, fearing the spread of communism in Latin America. This culminated in a CIA-backed military coup in 1973 in which Allende died.

War in the Middle East in the Early 1970s

  • The Yom Kippur War (1973) was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria.
  • Israel won the war, though it suffered heavy losses.

Effect of the Yom Kippur War on the United States

  • The war led to an oil embargo by OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) against the United States and other countries that supported Israel.

OPEC

  • OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a cartel of oil-producing nations that coordinates oil production and prices.
  • OPEC's policies affected the common man through increased gasoline prices and energy costs, leading to inflation and economic hardship.

Watergate Reporters

  • Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, reporters for The Washington Post, discovered Watergate.

Illegal Activities of the Nixon White House

  • Five illegal activities of the Nixon White House:
    • Wiretapping: Illegal wiretapping of political opponents and journalists.
    • Burglary: The Watergate break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters.
    • Obstruction of Justice: Efforts to cover up the White House's involvement in the Watergate scandal.
    • Campaign Finance Violations: Illegal and unethical fundraising practices.
    • Use of Government Agencies: Misuse of the CIA and FBI for political purposes.

1972 Election

  • The candidates in the 1972 election were:
    • Richard Nixon (Republican)
    • George McGovern (Democrat)
  • Richard Nixon won the election by a landslide.

Eagleton Affair

  • The Eagleton Affair involved Thomas Eagleton, George McGovern's original running mate, who was forced to withdraw from the ticket after it was revealed that he had undergone electroshock therapy for depression.

George Wallace in the 1972 Election

  • George Wallace was shot and seriously wounded during an assassination attempt while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972. This effectively ended his campaign, though he won several primaries before the incident.

Muskie in New Hampshire

  • Edmund Muskie, a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination, suffered a setback in the New Hampshire primary after he appeared to cry in response to a newspaper's attacks on his wife.