1. Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter

2. Gerald Ford Takes Office  Oath of office on August 9, 1974  He declared, – "I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances.... This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts."  Was succeeding the first President ever to resign.

3. The Pardon  Ford has to make a decision whether or not to let the investigation continue  Decides the country cannot heal until Watergate is behind them  Granted former President Nixon a full pardon –Lost a great deal of support because of this decision –Some thought he had struck a deal with Nixon before becoming Vice President –Went from an approval rating of 71% three weeks before the pardon, to an approval rating of 49% rated after the pardon

4. Whip Inflation Now - WIN  America’s economy continuing to worsen  Inflation and unemployment continued to rise Inflation –OPEC oil prices increase in 1973 –Inflation at 10% in 1974

5. Whip Inflation Now - WIN  “Whip Inflation Now” or WIN was Ford’s citizen action program to help the economy –Called on Americans to cut back on their use of oil and gas and to take other energy saving measures –Without incentives though, the plan did not succeed  Tried to cut inflation –tight monetary policy –Cut government spending –Encouraged the Federal Reserve to restrict credit through high interest rates –worst recession in 40 years  Battling a Democratic Congress who had their own economic agenda –In his two years as President vetoed 50 pieces of legislation

6. Ford’s Foreign Policy  Ford continued to negotiate with China and the USSR  Helsinki Accords –Signed by 35 nations –All nations agreed to promote personal liberties in their own countries –Promised greater cooperation between the East and West –Ford’s most significant accomplishment as President  Ford asked Congress for $ to help South Vietnam resist North Vietnamese –Congress refused –South Vietnam fell in 1975

7. 1976 Election  Gerald Ford: incumbent for the Republicans –Ford narrowly defeated Ronald Reagan for the nomination –slow economy and paid a political price for his pardon of Nixon  Democrats: Jimmy Carter –Carter was governor of Georgia –Ran as a Washington outsider and an honest reformer  When Carter left the Democratic National Convention, he held a huge 33-point lead over Ford in the polls –Race tightened over the next few months

8. 1976 Election Results  Carter wins by a slim margin  Carter: –50.1% of the popular vote –297 electoral votes  Ford: –48% of the popular vote –240 electoral votes

10. The Carter Administration  Does not reach out to Congress –Did not pass Carter’s budget proposals, tax reforms, or welfare programs  Carter has to confront the energy crisis –Asks Americans to cut their consumption of gas and oil –Presented Congress with more than 100 proposals on energy conservation and development

11. National Energy Act  Placed a tax on gas- guzzling cars  Removed price controls on oil and natural gas on oil and natural gas  Extended tax credits for alternative fuel sources

12. The Economy  Violence in the Middle East produced another fuel shortage in 1979  OPEC also announced another price hike  In 1979 inflation went from 7.6% to 11.3% 7.6% to 11.3%  By 1980 inflation was at 14% –Standard of living in US slipped to 5 th in the world to 5 th in the world  Carter’s popularity decreased as well as well –Right before the 1980 election

13. Human Rights  Moral principals to guide his foreign policy –US should commit itself to promoting human rights throughout the world  Cut off military and economic aid to countries that violated people’s human rights –Argentina and Brazil » US allies –Acted inconsistently though when he supported dictators in South Korea and the Philippines

14. Panama Canal  Carter announced in 1977 that the US would give up ownership of the Panama Canal –Agreed to a treaty that said the US would give up control of the canal December 31, 1999 –Helped improve relationship with Latin America –American public divided on the issue

15. Collapse of Détente  Carter’s policy on human rights led to a breakdown in the relationship with China and the Soviet Union  Carter and Brezhnev did sign SALT II in 1979 –Provided limits on the number of strategic weapons and nuclear missile launchers each side could produce –Congress opposed the agreement and it failed to get through Congress after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan

16. The Camp David Accords  Carter wanted to work towards peace between Israel and Egypt  1977 Anwar el-Sadat (Egyptian President) and Menachem Begin (Israeli Prime Minister) met in Jerusalem to discuss peace between the two nations  When peace talks stalled Carter invited the two leaders to Camp David  12 days of negotiations the three reached an agreement » known as the Camp David Accords –First signed peace agreement between the two countries –Israel agreed to withdraw its troops from the Sinai Peninsula –Egypt would recognize Israel’s right to exist

18. Iran Hostage Crisis  By 1979 the Shah of Iran was in danger of being overthrown » a US ally –Muslim religious leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini led the rebels in overthrowing the Shah –Established a religious state based on the Qur’an  Carter supported the Shah to the very end –Shah allowed to enter the US for cancer treatment –Infuriated the Iranian revolutionaries  November 4, 1979 US embassy seized in Tehran - 52 Americans taken hostage –Militants demanded US send the Shah back to Iran in return for the hostages  Carter refused –Were several efforts to release the hostages –Hostages not released until after Reagan was inaugurated – January 20, 1981