Essential Question: In what ways did President Nixon represent a change towards conservative politics & how did his foreign policy alter the U.S. relationship with USSR & China?

The Presidency of Richard Nixon By the late 1960s, citizens had seen enough turmoil in U.S. foreign & domestic affairs: The economic boom of the 1950s & 1960s was starting to come to an end American prestige in the world was damaged by the failure in Vietnam Anti-war protests, “hippie” culture, & liberal gov’t programs led many citizens to believe that America was headed for moral decay & economic collapse

The Election of Richard Nixon Nixon’s victory in 1968 was due to the turnout of a “silent majority” who wanted a more conservative gov’t In 1968, Americans elected conservative Republican Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon & Domestic Policy As a conservative, Nixon believed in a limited role for the national gov’t He tried to reduce or eliminate many Great Society programs He gave states more control over how money for welfare programs was spent

Richard Nixon & Domestic Policy By the late 1960s, the South was becoming more conservative due to new military bases & corporate headquarters, the relocation of retirees, & frustration by whites over civil rights Nixon seized the opportunity to attract Southerners to the Republican Party by opposing new civil rights policies & cutting government spending

Richard Nixon & Foreign Policy President Nixon successfully changed U.S. foreign policy Instead of using containment to fight Communism & increase Cold War tensions, Nixon created a policy of détente (to ease tensions) with America’s Cold War enemies

The Presidency of Richard Nixon President Nixon successfully changed U.S. foreign policy President Nixon & aide Henry Kissinger used a strategy called triangular diplomacy to improve America’s role in the world

Richard Nixon & Foreign Policy Nixon’s foreign policy included “peace with honor” in Vietnam Nixon discussed plans for “Vietnamization” but secretly bombed Cambodia & Laos in 1970 In 1973, Nixon negotiated a cease fire, withdrew U.S. troops, & ended the Vietnam War

Richard Nixon & Foreign Policy Nixon’s foreign policy included better relations with China In 1972, Nixon became the 1st president to visit & recognize China Nixon’s visit to China was also meant to exploit a growing rift between USSR & China; Now the USSR had to cooperate with the U.S. Nixon’s visit allowed for the possibility of U.S. trade with China

Richard Nixon & Foreign Policy Nixon’s détente policy was aimed at easing Cold War tensions with the USSR In 1972, Nixon became the 1st president to visit Moscow; His visit led to the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) to limit ICBMs By visiting China, Nixon pressured Soviet leader Brezhnev to negotiate with the United States

The Presidency of Richard Nixon Nixon was a popular president by the end of his 1st term His domestic policies reduced gov’t spending & revitalized middle-class, conservative, & Southern voters His foreign policies led to the end of an unpopular war in Vietnam & eased tensions with America’s two biggest Cold War rivals In 1972, Nixon won one of the biggest landslide victories in presidential history But after Nixon’s re-election in 1972, the Watergate scandal broke; President Nixon resigned in 1974 rather than face impeachment

Essential Question: What was the Watergate scandal & how did it change American politics in the 1970s?

Conservative domestic policy: Lowered gov’t spending Reduced social programs Active foreign policy: Ended the war in Vietnam “Opened” China Détente with the USSR Quick Review: Why was Nixon overwhelmingly re-elected as president in 1972? Why was Nixon so popular?

Nixon was insecure & paranoid about power: What do you see in this image? Nixon was insecure & paranoid about power: He kept an “enemies list” of people he suspected were out to undermine his policies “Tricky Dick” used his position as president to spy on, infiltrate, & sabotage his “enemies” These tactics & fears were the reasons for the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency In what ways might Nixon have been “his own worst enemy”?

Watergate Inquiry Activity Stage 1:THE BREAK-IN Read the background information and documents With your partners, discuss the following questions: Do you believe that Nixon was aware of the break-in and bugging? Why or why not? If you believe he knew, to what extent did he know?

The Watergate Scandal: A Visual Review Gordon Liddy & the “Plumbers”

Watergate Inquiry Activity Stage 2:Investigations Begin Read the background information and documents With your partners, discuss the following questions: Was this a witch hunt? Do Woodward and Bernstein create more issues than were solved by the investigation? Is this what the country needs right at that moment?

The Watergate Scandal: A Visual Review

Watergate Inquiry Activity Stage 3: Congressional Hearings Read the background information and documents With your partners, discuss the following questions: What did Nixon’s refusal to hand over the tapes tell you about him? Was it just that he was trying to hide things or was there more to it?

The Watergate Scandal: A Visual Review

Watergate Inquiry Activity Stage 4: The Secret Tapes Read the background information and documents With your partners, discuss the following questions: Why did the Nixon administration make Rose Mary Woods the scapegoat? What does this say about society at the time? What is Nixon doing to his reputation throughout this time period?

The Watergate Scandal: A Visual Review

Watergate Inquiry Activity Stage 5: Nixon Resigns Read the background information and documents With your partners, discuss the following questions: Do you think that the Nixon resignation was an admission of guilt? Why or why not? What impact do you believe this event has on the American people/government?

The Watergate Scandal: A Visual Review

Why is Watergate such an important event in U.S. history? How did Watergate change the way Americans perceive their political leaders? Why is Watergate such an important event in U.S. history? Should Nixon’s presidency be judged more in his foreign policy successes or the Watergate scandal? Why? Do you think Nixon’s actions were different from most politicians?

Effects of Watergate The Watergate scandal changed America: The scandal eroded public trust in their political leaders; Added to the distrust created by the Vietnam War Revealed the importance of the media in serving as a “watchdog” of the gov’t Congress assumed more leadership Uncertainty whether prosecutors would charge Nixon with crimes

Closure Discussion Question: Should Nixon’s presidency be judged more in his foreign policy successes or the Watergate scandal? Why?