1. The Nixon Administration
Chapter 28
The Nixon Administration

2. The 1968 Election Republican – Richard Nixon & Spiro Agnew (Maryland)
Promised to restore law & order & end the Vietnam War
Supported by a wide middle class (“Silent Majority”) who still believed in their government
“The Southern Strategy”- Nixon won key votes in the South by promising to:
Appoint conservatives to the federal courts
Appoint a Southerner to the Supreme Court
Choose a VP the South would accept
Democrat – Hubert Humphrey
Independent Party —George Wallace (segregationist former Gov. of Alabama)

3. A Law & Order President New Federalism
Nixon authorized the Attorney-General John Mitchell to prosecute hard line militant protesters who crossed state lines.
Nixon disagreed with the Warren Supreme Court decisions —Nixon appointed Chief Justice Warren Burger when Chief Justice Earl Warren retired.
New Federalism
New Federalism: Nixon had promised to reduce the size of the federal government & give more power to states.
Revenue-sharing: Nixon gave federal money to states & allowed states decide how to use it.
Nixon closed many of Johnson’s Great Society programs

4. Welfare Reform
Nixon wanted to reform the US welfare system and reform the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program.
Problems with AFDC:
Gave more incentive for poor people to apply for benefits than take a low paying job.
Nixon’s Reform for AFDC:
Replace AFDC with The Family Assistance Plan
give needy families $1600/ year to supplement their outside income.
The Family Assistance Plan was defeated—never approved.

5. Nixon & Vietnam
During the 1968 election, Nixon had promised ‘peace with honor’ in Vietnam.
Appointed Henry Kissinger as Sec. of State & gave him power to end the conflict.
Kissinger led a policy called “linkage” ---improve relations with USSR & China to convince them to cut aid to North Vietnam.
“détente” - Nixon began to relax tensions with China & USSR.
Nixon visited China in Feb. of 1972
Nixon visited the USSR (1ST Pres. To do so)
Peace Talks with Vietnam Resume
Kissinger rebooted peace talks with North Vietnam (4 years)
Nixon reduced the number of US troops in Vietnam while South Vietnamese took over more responsibility for fighting their own war ( “Vietnamization” )
Nixon also reduced US troop presence in other world areas= Nixon Doctrine

6. Problems at Home Over Vietnam
The My Lai Massacre (1969)
American platoon in Vietnam led by Lt. William Calley massacred unarmed old men & women, & children.
Calley went to prison later
More Americans began to see the war as brutal & senseless.
The Invasion of Cambodia & Protests
Nixon announced in April 1970 that US troops had invaded Cambodia.
Protest erupted at college campuses because it seemed he was expanding the war.
Kent State (1970)- Ohio National Guard Soldiers killed 4 students.
Jackson State – antiwar protests led to two students dead.
Congress repealed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
1973-War Powers Act: required Presidents to notify Congress within 48 hours of sending troops into action & withdraw them in days unless Congress gives approval.

7. Turmoil at Home The Pentagon Papers (1971)
A former Defense Department worker (Daniel Ellsberg) released classified information to the NY TIMES.
Revealed that Johnson officials had secretly questioned the war
Revealed that government officials had looked for ways to expand the war without consent of Congress
This incident grew the credibility gap.
Public Opinion Turns Against the War
1971 polls showed 2/3 of Americans wanted to end the war.
1972- Nixon stops insisting that North Vietnamese troops totally withdraw from South Vietnam.

8. The Vietnam War Ends
In 1973, Nixon was reelected in a landslide victory. During the campaign, they announced that “peace was at hand” in Vietnam.
Dec. of ”The Christmas Bombings” —bombing of North Vietnam for 11 days.
US & North Vietnam returned to the negotiating table
Jan both side agree to end the war
US troops are pulled out
Nixon won reelection in 1972
Nixon resigned from office 1974
March North Vietnamese forces launch an invasion of South Vietnam
Capitol of Saigon was remained “Ho Chi Minh” City.

9. The Watergate Scandal The 1972 Election
Republicans: nominated Richard Nixon
Democrats: nominated George McGovern
The Election Campaign
Nixon’s reelection was not certain
The Vietnam war was still going on in 1972
Nixon wanted to win badly
Nixon spied on opponent’s rally's & spread false reports about opponents.
Nixon supporters ordered five men (some ex-CIA) to break into Democrat national headquarters building (Watergate) and information on Nixon opponents.
The burglars were caught (James McCord was Ex-CIA & worked for the Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP).

10. The Watergate Cover Begins
During the election, most Americans paid little attention to media reports about the burglary at Watergate.
The Cover-Up
After the burglars were captured and appeared in court.
White House officials destroyed documents & gave false testimonies to investigators.
Nixon ok’ed asking the CIA to stop an FBI investigation into Watergate break-ins. (Obstruction of Justice)
The FBI deputy director (Mark Felt) SECRETLY leaked Watergate investigation to Washington Post Reporters (Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward)
Nixon told the US public that the Whitehouse had no involvement (LIED)

11. The Watergate Scandal Explodes
Nixon won re-election in 1972 by a landslide. Most Americans had paid little attention to the growing scandal during the campaign.
1973- Senate Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities began to investigate look into the issue.
One of the burglars agreed to testify
John Dean (lawyer for the president) was called to testify & linked Nixon to the cover-up.
A taping system in the Oval Office would provide proof that Nixon had led a cover-up and obstructed justice.
Nixon refused to turn tapes over to prosecutors claiming ‘Executive Privilege”
The government lawyer investigating the scandal took Nixon to court over the tapes
Nixon fired the government lawyer (Obstruction of justice)

12. Nixon Resigns
Fall of 1973, VP Spiro Agnew had to resign due to bribery charges stemming from being Gov. of Maryland. Nixon replaced him with Gerald Ford.
1974 US v. Nixon
US Supreme Court ruled that Nixon had to turn tapes over to prosecutors
House Impeachment
days after the US v. Nixon ruling
The House of Reps. Voted to impeach the president
Nixon Resigned
August 1974
Gerald Ford became president