Study Notes on The Nixon Years

Richard Nixon - Navy veteran from World War II. - Served as a California Senator. - Prosecuted Assistant Secretary of State Alger Hiss, accusing him of being a communist spy during the Second Red Scare as a committee member of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). - Served as Vice President under Dwight D. Eisenhower. - Known for the “Kitchen Debate” with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. - Lost the presidential election to John F. Kennedy in 1960, which featured the first televised debate.

Key promises made by Nixon during the 1968 election: - End the Vietnam War. - Restore “Law and Order.”

Defined as: - Exploiting the willingness of Southern white Democrats to leave the Democratic Party and vote Republican following the Civil Rights Movement. - Nixon publicly stated opposition to busing while claiming, "I am [also] against segregation.” - He asserted that federal funding should not be used to enforce integration via busing while also insisting that no funds should be allocated to a district practicing segregation.

Established in 1970 as a federal agency. - Its role includes enforcing the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.

Author of "Silent Spring": - Documented the detrimental effects of pesticides on the environment, especially regarding birds. - Accused the chemical industry of disseminating misinformation and criticized public officials for uncritically accepting chemical usage.

Nixon's domestic agenda was dubbed “New Federalism.”
Aimed to retain Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Great Society” programs through “revenue sharing.” - Purpose was to provide federal funds to states allowing them to choose which programs to implement: - Nixon’s quote: "After a third of a century of power flowing from the people and the states to Washington, it is time for a New Federalism in which power, funds, and responsibility will flow FROM Washington to the states and to the people."

Proposal to replace Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) with direct cash payments: - Example payment: $1600 for a family of four per year. - Targeted single-parent families and the “working poor,” who would qualify for aid. - All recipients (except mothers of preschool-aged children) were mandated to work or take job training. - The initiative passed the House of Representatives but failed in the Senate and was abandoned by 1972 election.

Supreme Court case that mandated forced busing to achieve public school integration.
Nixon established a committee to collaborate with Southern states on “integration through cooperation.”

Initially started under JFK.
Aimed to eliminate racist hiring practices and college acceptance.
White males claimed "reverse discrimination" is a violation of the 14th Amendment → Regents of California v. Bakke (1978):
- Racial quotas were ruled unconstitutional; however, race could be considered as a factor for diversifying colleges.
Notable statistics: - In the fall of 1968, 68% of Black children in the South attended all-Black schools; by 1974, this figure fell to 8%.

April 1971: Congressman Paul N. McCloskey (R-CA) accused the U.S. of bombing thousands of villages in northern Laos and concealing the war's impacts on civilians.
Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) argued the bombings caused "at least 75% of the refugees" in Laos.
Reports in 1972 revealed bombings occurred between 1965-1973, leading to significant mistrust in government. - Estimated 500,000 tons of explosives dropped in Cambodia resulted in 2 million civilian deaths. - The Khmer Rouge exploited the bombings and destruction of Cambodian infrastructure, eventually leading to widespread support and genocide.

Effort by the National Organization of Women (NOW) to introduce gender equality into the Constitution; it failed at the state ratification level.
Anti-ERA campaign initiated by Phyllis Schlafly called STOP ERA: - She propagated fears of forced government involvement in women’s childcare, military conscription, and enforced societal acceptance of homosexuality.

Amended the Higher Education Act of 1965: - Applicable to colleges, universities, elementary and secondary schools receiving federal financial assistance.

Nixon's administration championed the ERA and other women's rights initiatives.
Signed Title IX and Title X (Family Planning Services Act) into law on December 26, 1970.

Landmark decision stating no state could deny the right to abortion during the first trimester: - Based on the 14th Amendment right to due process. - The ruling was revisited in June 2022 regarding the 10th Amendment issues.