2. VIII. 1970s & 80s A. President Nixon 1. Paranoid, had an enemies list a. FBI spied on ppl, b. IRS (Internal Revenue Service) audited them c. illegal wiretaps

3. 2. Foreign Policy a. China: Nixon traveled to Beijing & established a diplomatic relationship w/communist China b. Soviet Union: Nixon traveled to Moscow & signed the SALT I treaty which limited intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) & sub missiles

4. c. Middle East 1. Yom Kippur War a. Egypt & Syria attack Israel on high holy day b. Israel wins & takes territory from both countries

5. 2. OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) a. established by Arab nations to regulate the price of oil b. 1973: OPEC cut supply of oil to US after US supported Israel in their war against Egypt & Syria c. Embargo lifted in 1974, but prices remained high throughout 1970s

6. d. Domestic Policy 1. stagflation: inflation & unemployment 2. economic problems caused by war on poverty, international trading competition & dependency on oil 3. tried to return power to state & local govts 4. lowered voting age to 18 5. Nixon tried to raise taxes, cut programs, raise interest rates & control wages & prices

7. e. Watergate 1. The Break in a. June 17, 1972: 5 burglars break into Democratic National Committee Headquarters in Watergate building (Wash DC) b. Burglars carried LOTS of cash & worked for Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP)

8. 2. 1972 Election a. Opposed to civil rights which attracted to white Southern Democrats (majority) to Republican party & alienated Af Ams (minority) b. Nov 1972: Nixon re-elected

9. 4. Feb 1973: Senate committee investigates a. Jan 1973: Burglar James McCord told Judge Sirica that the burglars had been told to plead guilty & remain silent b. April 30, 1973: Nixon’s chief of staff, domestic advisor (Haldeman & Erlichman) & White House counsel (John Dean) resign; Ams still think Nixon was involved in cover-up c. White House aid tells of taped conversations

10. 5. Saturday Night Massacre a. Special prosecutor asks for tapes b. Nixon orders Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire the special prosecutor, Richardson resigns instead c. Deputy Attorney General also resigns d. Robert Bork fires special prosecutor

11. Random & Useless Aug 1972: Nixon tells Americans that White House was not involved in H20 gate & authorizes $420,000 in “hush $” to burglars Dec 1973: Nixon had paid only $500/yr in federal taxes since 1969 1. April 1974: the president released edited transcripts of tapes 2. July 1974: US vs. Nixon: Supreme Court says Nixon MUST give up tapes Tape of June 24 1972 released Called the “smoking gun” tape (Nixon tells FBI not to investigate) Richard Nixon

12. f. Other Problems (under Watergate) 1. Oct 1973: Vice Pres Spiro Agnew: accused of taking bribes & tax evasion, resigns  3. Nixon appoints Gerald Ford VP 2. Impoundment of federal funds: Nixon “impounded” (refused to use) federal money set aside for programs he did not agree with

13. g. Aug 6, 1974: Congress signs Bill of Impeachment 1. Aug 9, 1974: Nixon resigns 2. Gerald Ford becomes Pres, pardons Nixon 3. 40 ppl stand trial, many go to jail 4. H2O gate-  public cynicism about govt

14. 1. governor of Georgia won 1976 election against Ronald Reagan 2. Foreign Policy a. Commitment to human rights b. Returned Panama Canal to Panama c. Sept 1978: Camp David Accords 1. Is returns Sinai Penin (captured in Yom Kippur War) 2. Egypt recognizes Is rt to exist & lets Is use Suez Canal B. Jimmy Carter

15. d. Hostage Crisis (444 days) 1. Feb 1979: After Shah is overthrown, Ayatollah Khomeini established a Muslim govt 2. Oct 1979: Shah comes to US for medical treatment, Iranians want him back 3. Nov 4, 1979: Iranians take 52 Ams hostage 4. April 1980: US sends marines to rescue hostages; attempt fails (8 die)

16. 3. Election of 1980 a. Hostage crisis & bad economy b. Malaise speech c. Jan 20, 1981: Reagan inaugurated, hostages released

17. C. Ronald Reagan 1. Former actor & governor of Calif 2. cut taxes to promote private investment 3. Military buildup 1. Largest arms build up in history ($$$) a. believed in negotiating from a position of strength b. “Star Wars” program, or Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI): failed all 4 tests, cost $15 trillion