Richard Nixon “I let the American people down.”.

Richard Nixon in Office Elected president in1968 participated in 1 st televised presidential debate against JFK in 1960 but lost ran as the spokesperson for Middle America or the silent majority gained southern voters this way set up the Environmental Protection Agency after incident at Three Mile Island

Nixon and the Economy Stagflation: dual condition of stagnating economy (high unemployment) inflationary pressures (rising prices) Stagflation occurred due to deficit spending, especially on Vietnam and welfare foreign competition rising prices, especially in oil prices

Nixon and The Cold War When the US and China got friendly, Russia wanted to negotiate due to fears of an alliance Soviet Union and US sign the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I) which froze the deployment of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and placed limits on antiballistic missiles (ABMs) Did not end the arms race between US and USSR but was a huge step towards that goal Started a détente in which the USSR and US were trying to solve their issues not intensify them, new foreign policy promoted by Nixon

Nixon and Vietnam Ordered the bombing of Cambodia secretively without Congressional knowledge even though he had promised to gradually withdraw troops (Vietnamization) Led to Congress repealing the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and limited the president’s ability to commit troops (War Powers Act)

The Fall of Nixon: Watergate Scandal Democratic Party headquarters (Watergate) was broken in to connected to Nixon, he helped cover-up the break-in Nixon denied any wrongdoing…few believed him

Problems Continue VP Spiro Agnew resigned over another scandal (tax evasion) Nixon nominated Gerald Ford to be his new VP (25 th Amendment)

“I am not a crook!” “If the president does it, it’s not illegal.”

Then tape recordings within the Oval Office were uncovered…tapes would prove Nixon’s involvement in break- in… Nixon refused to release the tapes… US vs. Nixon required he give up tapes but when he did parts were missing…he resigned Damaged the reputation of the presidency and shook peoples confidence Showed that no person, even the President, was above the law

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post covering the story getting inside info from anonymous source, Deep Throat upon his death in 2008, discovered to be Mark Felt (FBI 2 nd in command)

Who is shown hanging from the tapes in the cartoon above? What scandal is being portrayed in the cartoon? What connection does the man pictured above have with the tapes he is hanging from? What was the lasting impact of the scandal?