2. Shifting Loyalties in the South
• Look at the maps, and explain the political
evolution of the South starting in 1948.
• Explain the reasons for the evolution, citing at
least 2 historical examples that support your
analysis. (ie. Significance of 1948 election,
etc.)

4. Learning Objectives
1. Describe Nixon’s foreign policy in relation to
Vietnam, the Soviet Union and Communist China.
2. Analyze Nixon’s domestic policies, his opposition
to the “Warren Court,” his “southern strategy,”
and his landslide victory against George McGovern
in 1972.
3. Examine the conflicts created by the secret
bombing of Cambodia, the American withdrawal from
Vietnam, and the first Arab oil embargo.
4. Discuss the Watergate scandal and Nixon’s
resignation.
5. Explain the related economic, energy, and Middle
East Crisis of the 1970s and why both Republican
and Democratic administrations were unable to
successfully address them.
6. Describe the racial tensions of the 1970s and the
rise of the new feminist movement.
7. Discuss the Iranian Crisis and its disastrous
political consequences for President Carter.

5. Nixon’s Politics and
Domestic Policies
• New Federalism
• Revenue sharing
• Social Programs
• Medicare, Medicaid, AFDC,
SSI
• War on Drugs
• Affirmative action
• Philadelphia Plan
• Environmentalism
•

6. When Nixon
Met Elvis

7. Battling the Warren Court
Landmark Liberal Decisions
• Griswold vs. Connecticut (1965) struck down a state
law that banned the use of contraceptives, even by
married couples; created a “right to privacy.”
• Gideon vs. Wainwright (1963) - all criminals were
entitled to legal counsel, even if they were too
poor to afford it.
• Esobendo (1964) and Miranda (1966) – 5th amendment
right to remain silent; accused must be informed of
rights before statements can be admissible in court
• Engel vs. Vitale (1962) and School District of
Abington Township vs. Schempp (1963) Court ruled
against required prayers and Bible readings in
public schools; 1st amendment – establishment & free
exercise clauses
• Reynolds vs. Sims (1964) - state legislatures, both
upper and lower houses, would have to be

8. A stagnant economy
• Low productivity
– Unskilled workers,
less capital
investment
(deteriorating
machinery), Govt.
health/safety
guidelines
• Severe inflation
– Great Society
– Vietnam
**no tax increase Military and welfare spending puts
to
offset spending $ in people’s pockets, but doesn’t
produce goods. More dollars +
fewer goods = INFLATION!

9. ock!”
Sh
Ni xo n
“
Vietnam + Social Programs = High inflation
• Goodbye Gold Standard!
• DEVALUING THE DOLLAR
• Price Controls
• 90-day freeze of wages and prices in order
to stop inflation from rising.
• The wage and price controls did work
temporarily.

10. Assessing Nixon’s Politics:
A Conservative or a Liberal?
Nixon the Conservative Nixon the Liberal
• Small govt. • funding for programs
such as food stamps
• “southern strategy” and increased Social
to appeal to former Security payments
segregationists
• environmental issues
• Fought crime and drug
use • Created a new
organization to
• Appt Warren Burger as prevent work-related
Chief Justice injuries and deaths
• Advanced affirmative
action

11. Nixon’s Foreign Policy
• Henry Kissinger
• Nixon’s
national
security
advisor and
Sec. of State
• shaped much of
Nixon’s foreign
policy.
• Play China and SU “And you and I will end the war.”
off of each other
in attempt to
force N Vietnam to
peace talks

12. Realpolitik:
Amer ica?
s best for
What’ How does this compare to earlier
Cold War era policies??
• Practicality v.
Ideology
• basing foreign
policies on
realistic views of
national interest
rather than on broad
rules or principles.
• US should not be
bound by promises to
fight communism or “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
promote freedom
wherever it is
threatened.

13. “Ping-Pong Diplomacy”:
U. S. Players at Great Wall, 1971
"The ping heard
round the world."
– Time Magazine
first group of Americans
allowed into China since the
Communist takeover in 1949

14. Cozying up to China:
“Six Weeks that Changed the World”
•OBJECTIVES:
•US – peace negotiations in
Vietnam
•China – the return of Taiwan to
the People’s Rep.
•US accepted “One China” policy –
lessened support for Nationalist ’72 – Nixon is the first American
Taiwan President to visit China – shocks
Americans!

15. Mao on Nixon: “I like to deal
with rightists . . . They say
what they really think – not like
the leftists, who say one thing
and mean another.”
ust a
iss inger: “J
Mao on K e man. He is
tl
funny lit er with n
erves
all ov
sh uddering comes to
see
e he
every tim me.”
President Nixon and Prime Minister Zhou Enlai, left,
in Shanghai at the end of Nixon’s visit.

16. Relations with the
Soviets: Thawing
the Cold War
• Grain Deal
• ‘69 Slowing the arms
race:
• ABM, Strategic Arms Round #1
Limitations Treaty Khrushchev –
(SALT I) The Kitchen
Debate
• build up of MIRVs
**Détente – relaxing
Cold War tensions
GOAL: build a more Round #2
stable world in Brezhnev –
which the US and arms race
its adversaries
accepted one

18. The US in ’72: Time Magazine Covers

19. Election of 1972
• 71 – Nixon’s approval
rating below 50%
• Nixon (R) v. McGovern (D)
• Big Issues:
– Inflation
– Unemployment
– Vietnam
• Both major candidates
campaign on ending the
war

20. “Southern Strategy”

21. Trouble in the
Middle East
• 1967 Six-Day War
– Israel occupying
territory that had
belonged to the nations
of Egypt, Syria, and
Jordan
– UN resolution - called
for Israel to withdraw
from these lands and for
the Arab states to
recognize Israel’s right
to exist
• 1973 Yom Kippur War
– Egypt and Syria attacked
Israel, and the fighting
affected the United
States.
•

24. rgo
’73 Arab Oil Emba
• OPEC (Organization
of Petroleum
Exporting Countries)
• agreed not to
ship oil to the
United States and
other allies of
Israel.
1973, Congressed responded to an oil crisis by passing the National Maximum Speed
Law which deprived states of highway funding if they allowed speeds higher than 55
mph. This is the speed at which wind resistance starts to increase and more fuel is
burned. This restriction actually worked and saved gasoline, but the Congress was
pressured to repeal the law in 1987. Now many states allow speeds of up to 70 or 75
mph and in some parts of rural Texas the speed limit is 80 mph.
Source: Mental Floss Magazine - Volume 6 Issue 6

25. The first signs that all was not well with Detroit was the 1973 oil crisis, when Middle East producers declared a boycott. Queues
formed at petrol stations, and consumers for the first time switched in large numbers to smaller, more economical cars – often made
by the Japanese – which they found more reliable. The Detroit-made cars had more defects, and Detroit's attempts to build a
successful small car failed. Source: BBC

27. 1990 – Iraq's anger at Kuwaiti over-production
sparks second Gulf War
 “economic warfare”
In 1990, Iraq sharply
decreased its oil
production to raise the
global price of oil; Kuwait
increased theirs, thus
keeping prices low

33. Shuttle Diplomacy
Kissinger traveled—
shuttled—from group
to group trying to
work out separate
agreements.

34. The Watergate Scandal Begins…
On June 17, 1972, police arrested five men who had
broken into the offices of the Democratic
National Committee.
Bob Woodward and Carl
Bernstein of the
Washington Post refused
to let the story die and
continued to investigate
the break-in.
The Post reported that
the break-in was part
of a widespread spying
effort by the Nixon
campaign, but this did
not seem to affect
voters.

35. History Rocks!:
Investigating
Watergate

36. The Crisis Continues
• Nixon continued to
deny his involvement
in the break-in or a
cover-up.
• The White House
revealed that an 18-
minute portion of the
tape had been erased.
• calls for impeachment.
• The “smoking gun” tape
reveals the cover-up!

39. “Fortunate Son”

40. Gerald Ford
• Vice President Spiro T.
Agnew resigned after
being charged with
cheating on his taxes
and taking payments in
return for political
favors.
• Gerald R. Ford becomes
VP
• the Republican leader
in the House of
Representatives.
Ford was the first person ever to
become president without having been
elected either president or vice-
president.

41. Gerald Ford’s Presidency
Ford • President Ford granted a full pardon
to Richard Nixon for any crime he may
Pardons have committed.
Nixon
• tried to cut government spending to
curb inflation but the Democratic
Ford Congress passed spending bills against
his wishes.
as
• foreign affairs - Ford continued the
President policy of détente; kept Kissinger as
Secretary of State.
• Ford won his party’s nomination after
Election a close struggle with former
Challenge California governor Ronald Reagan.

42. Jimmy Carter

43. The Playboy Interview - November
1976
Because I'm just human and I'm tempted and Christ set some
almost impossible standards for us. The Bible says, "Thou
shalt not commit adultery." Christ said, I tell you that anyone
who looks on a woman with lust has in his heart already
committed adultery. I've looked on a lot of women with lust.
I've committed adultery in my heart many times.... This is
something that God recognizes, that I will do and have done,
and God forgives me for it. But that doesn't mean that I
condemn someone who not only looks on a woman with lust
but who leaves his wife and shacks up with somebody out of
wedlock. Christ says, don't consider yourself better than
someone else because one guy screws a whole bunch of
women while the other guy is loyal to his wife. The guy who's
loyal to his wife ought not to be condescending or proud
because of the relative degree of sinfulness.

44. Election of 1976

45. Humanitarian Diplomacy
• “human rights” = guiding
principle of foreign policy
– S. Africa and Rhodesia –
oppressed black majority
• **Camp David Accords
(78)
– Israel withdraws from
Sinai
– Egypt recognizes Israel’s
borders Anwar Sadat (Egypt), Jimmy
Carter and Menachem Begin
(Israel)

46. Other notable foreign policy
moves…
• Recognition of China
• Control of Panama
canal turned over in
2000

47. Economy and Energy Crisis
• Ford recession brought temporary drop in inflation;
soared to 13% by ‘79; bill for imported oil = DEBT
• “oil shocks” – US could never again be economically
isolated; dependant on foreign trade
• Inflation – hurts those on fixed income
– Interest rates ; prime = 20% (‘80)
– Industries suffer – small business, construction,
housing…
**makes people doubt the future!

48. The Malaise Speech
• What circumstances surrounded Carter’s
July, 1979 address to the American
people?
• What does Carter say is the crisis facing
the American people? What is his tone?
• How do you think the American people
reacted to Carter’s address?
• How would Carter’s speech play to
Americans today?
Excerpt

49. What finally shakes Americans??
• Revolution in Iran –
“the Great
Shah overthrown Satan”
(Jan. ’79)
– Muslim
fundamentalists
resented
Westernization/secul
arization
• Ayatollah Khomeini
– Political/religious
leader for life
– Islamic Republic

50. Levittown Gas
Riots in ‘79

51. Russians in Afghanistan!
• Initially aiding Comm govt
• invaded Afghanistan to defend regime
• threaten region, US access to oil in the
Persian Gulf
• Ended SALT II negotiations

53. Did we give the Soviets their
Vietnam??
"We didn't push the Russians to intervene, but we
knowingly increased the probability that they
would... That secret operation was an excellent idea.
It had the effect of drawing the Soviets into the
Afghan trap... The day that the Soviets officially
crossed the border, I wrote to President Carter, "We
now have the opportunity of giving to the Soviet
Union its Vietnam War."
- Alleged Brzezinski quote from 1998

54. Carter’s Reaction
• Carter Doctrine: the U.S. would not allow any
other outside force to gain control of the
Persian Gulf.
• terminated Russian Wheat Deal
• prohibited Americans from participating in the
1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow
• reinstated registration for the draft for young
males.

55. • Carter – funding for anti-communist guerillas
(mujahedeen)
• Israeli-modified Chinese weapons through deal
w/ Pakistan
An Afghan Mujahid demonstrates positioning of a soviet-built SA-7 hand-
held surface-to-air missile.

56. "The U.S. had nothing whatsoever to do with these people's
decision to fight ... but we'll be damned by history if we let
them fight with stones." – Charlie Wilson (D-Rep, TX)

58. The Aftermath
• Soviets withdraw
troops
• radical Islamization of
Afghanistan
• near-disintegration of
the Afghan state =
TAKEOVER BY THE
TALIBAN in 96

59. Tomorrow’s Essay
• To what extent were the social and economic
problems of the 1970s a result of failed
American policies and actions of the 1960s?
Which of the transformations that affected
America in the 1970s would likely have
happened under any circumstances?

60. Some extra info. on Carter if
you’re interested…

61. Carter Faces Domestic Challenges
• Jimmy Carter came across as an honest man of deep
religious faith who promised not to lie to the
American people.
• Carter immediately tried to help the nation heal
some of the wounds of the past.
– Ex. He issued a pardon to thousands of Vietnam War
draft dodgers.
• Carter tackled problems in the economy and with
energy.
• Finally, Carter tried to deal with environmental
issues.

62. Challenges Facing the Nation
The Economy and Energy The Impact
• Inflation and • The economy added many
unemployment were new jobs to help
high. battle unemployment.
• Carter made the • Carter was unable to
development of a bring down inflation,
national energy policy in fact, it got worse.
a priority.
• Carter’s energy
• Wanted to ease policies were
dependence on foreign successful at helping
oil through energy reduce American
conservation, dependence on foreign
developing new energy oil.
supplies, and
loosening government • American production of
regulation of the energy increased under
American oil industry Carter.
• Asked Americans to
conserve energy

63. Environmental Concerns
Environmental Wins Environmental Losses
• Believed that • In 1979 a mishap at a
conserving fuel was a nuclear power plant on
key way to avoid Three Mile Island
plundering the terrified the nation.
environment
• Although little
• Passed the Alaska radiation was released,
National Interest Lands public concern about
Conservation Act the safety of nuclear
power grew.
• The act protected more
than 100 million acres • Chemicals that a
of land and doubled the company dumped in New
size of the nation’s York began to seep up
park and wildlife through the ground at
refuge system. Love Canal and were
linked to high rates of
birth defects.
• Experts warned that
there were likely many
more toxic waste sites

64. Carter’s Foreign Policy
• Carter came to office with little foreign-policy
experience.
• Carter promised that the concept of human rights
would be at the forefront of his foreign policy.
• Carter worked to strengthen ties between the United
States and the Soviet Union and China.
• Carter gave control of the Panama Canal back to
Panama.
• Carter helped Egypt and Israel deal with some of
the divisions that caused conflicts between their
countries.

65. Carter’s Foreign Policy
Human Rights Soviet Recognizing
Relations China
• Basic ideas
outlined in • Carter wrote • Formally
the United to Brezhnev recognized the
Nations about his government of
Declaration concerns with the Communist
of Human Soviet human People’s
Rights rights Republic of
issues. China
• Carter
expected • Brezhnev • Ended
friends and politely said recognition of
enemies alike that each the Republic
to uphold the country of China on
highest should mind Taiwan
standards in their own
the treatment business.
of their
citizens. • Concluded
SALT II talks
in 1979 that
limited

66. Carter’s Foreign Policy
Panama Canal Camp David Accords
• American control of • Greatest foreign-
the Panama Canal had policy achievement
been a source of
conflict between the • Conflict between Egypt
two countries. and Israel continued.
Egypt would not
• In 1977 Carter and recognize Israel and
Panama’s leader agreed Israel continued to
that Panama would take occupy Egyptian
control of the canal territory.
by the end of 1999.
• Carter guided Anwar
• The Senate narrowly el-Sadat and Menachem
approved the treaties. Begin to a historic
agreement that came to
• For some Americans, be called the Camp
loss of control of the David Accords.
canal represented a
decline in American • Begin and Sadat won
power. the Nobel Peace Prize
in 1979.

67. How did international crises affect Carter’s
presidency?
In 1979 a series of events occurred that seemed
to overwhelm Carter’s presidency.
In 1979 the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.
On November 4, 1979, a mob attacked the American
embassy in Tehran, Iran’s capital, and took
several dozen Americans hostage.

68. International Crises
Afghanistan Iran
• Soviets invaded • Revolution in Iran
Afghanistan to ensure overthrew the shah and
continued Communist replaced him with the
rule in the country. Ayatollah Ruholla
Khomeini.
• The attack threatened
U.S.-Soviet relations • The American
and called into government allowed the
question Carter’s shah to enter the
ability to respond to United States for
Soviet aggression. medical treatment—this
action enraged many
• Carter blocked shipment Iranians.
of grain to the Soviet
Union and said the • A mob attacked the
United States would U.S. embassy in Tehran
boycott the 1980 and took Americans
Olympics. hostage.
• Americans did not like • Carter’s attempts to
the grain embargo or negotiate the release
the Olympic boycott of the hostages went
because they seemed to nowhere.

69. A Crisis of Confidence
• The Iranian Hostage situation dragged on
throughout the presidential election year of 1980.
• The situation in Iran also drove up gasoline
prices so that prices of goods in the United
States went up and inflation soared.
• Many voters held Carter responsible for the
problems and the downcast mood of the country.