The Presidencies of Nixon, Ford & Carter U.S. History Goal 12

Richard Nixon Nixon’s Accomplishments while in office Born in 1913 Married Patricia Ryan A Republican Vice President to Dwight D. Eisenhower Ran for President in 1960, but lost to JFK He would win the election in 1968 against Hubert Humphrey. His Presidential term was from He was seen as reserve, remote & not a people person, emotionally fragile, low self-esteem, reserved, mean Ended the American fighting in Vietnam (Vietnamization) Improved relations with the USSR & China (SALT I and “ping-pong diplomacy” respectively) Revenue sharing Ended the draft Made new anti-criminal laws Made a broad environmental program(EPA, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act) 2

Nixon’s Domestic Policy Foreign Policy The Watergate Scandal “New Federalism”- was his policy to balance the power of the federal government and & the interest in local communities. “Stagflation”- term used to denote an economic condition characterized by high prices& low demand Environmental Awareness: The Clean Air Act 1970, The Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, The Resources & Recovery Act (1970) & the Clean Water Act 1972 Détente: helped ease tensions b/w Communist nations. SALT I He had no actually part in the act. However, he did try to cover the act up. He refused to give up the tapes of the phone recordings, he would later resign to avoid impeachment Ultimately cost him re-election in

Gerald R. Ford The Nixon Pardon Born in 1913 Married to Elizabeth Bloomer Also a Republican 38 th president He took office after Nixon’s resignation due to the 25 th Amendment. During his presidency his challenges were difficult: – Rising inflation – Reviving a depressed economy – Solving chronic energy shortage – Ensuring world peace Ford would also grant Nixon a full pardon, one month while being in office. This heightened the speculations concerning a deal b/w the 2. He felt as if it was the easiest & best thing to do. This would hurt his integrity, his credibility & his popularity. 4

Ford’s Domestic & Foreign Policies Energy Crisis ( )- Sparked by the Oil & Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) embargo imposed on the US & its allies b/c of their support of Israel during the Yom Kippur War of SALT II (the beginning basis) Helsinki Accords (1975)- The Soviet Union, the US, & other western nation legitimized the borders drawn in Eastern Europe after WWII. The Soviet Union & its satellites signed a “human rights" guarantee, which included the right to emigrate. – US, Canada, the Soviet Union, and about 30 European countries pledged to cooperate economically, respect boundaries, and promote human rights 5

Show Clip What was the reasoning behind Gerald Ford’s decision to pardon Richard Nixon? How did this affect the public opinion of Ford?

James “Jimmy” Carter Issues Born 1924 Married to Rosalynn Smith A Democrat His main goal was to make the government “competent & compassionate.” He dealt with high inflation tried deficit spending and cutting federal spending to fix the problem High unemployment Energy & Fuel shortages (OPEC raised price of oil) led to deregulation (reduction or removal of government controls in several industries- airlines, cars, railroads) – Avoid “gas guzzler” cars – Use less energy – National energy policy – Decontrolling domestic petroleum prices He wanted to improve the environment so he expanded the national parks system included 103 million acres in Alaska. 7

Foreign Policy Deregulation under Carter Carter’s Set Backs Also wanted to increase human & social services: – Developed the Dept. of Education – Strengthened Social Security – Appointed record numbers of women, blacks & Hispanics into government jobs. Camp David Accords, 1978 (Peacemaker) – He helped bring amity b/w Egypt & Israel Three Mile Island Airline Deregulation Act 1978 The Motor Carrier Act 1980 The Rail Act 1980 The Depository Institutions Deregulation & Monetary Control act 1980 Soviets invasion of Afghanistan dissolved SALT II Hostages of the U.S. embassy staff in Iran; January Due to the Hostage situation and high inflation, Carter’s defeat was near. (he would lose his re-election to Reagan.) The 52 American Hostages would be released the same day Carter left office. 8