1. Chapter 24 Section 3 Notes The Presidencies of Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter

2. Gerald Ford becomes President (Aug. 1974)
From Michigan
Played football at U of M
Takes over for Nixon
1st and only “appointed” President
Not real confident in his ability
“I’m a Ford, not a Lincoln”

3. Ford’s 1st decision at President
What to do about Nixon?
If prosecuted and found guilty, how would it look for a president to go to jail?
If prosecuted and found not guilty, it would look like the gov was covering it up
If not prosecuted, should politicians be allowed to get away with crimes?
The decision: Ford Pardons Nixon

4. Consequences of the Pardon
Public distrusts Ford immediately
Believes he hooked Nixon up
Becomes unpopular
2 assassination attempts (2 different women)
It is the main thing he’s remembered for

5. The Economy under Ford
When he enters office, it stinks (around 10% inflation)
Major problem = rising fuel costs
How to solve it?
Cut back on using fuel
Less govt. spending
Make it difficult to get credit
Did it work?
A little… but only for awhile

6. Foreign Policy under Ford
Very similar to Nixon (realpolitik and détente)
Helsinki Accords
involved 35 countries
U.S. and Soviet Union main ones
More cooperation and trade between Eastern and Western Europe

7. Peace treaty broken in Vietnam
N. begins fighting again with S.
Ford asks Congress for $ to help S. Vietnam
Congress says NO MORE!
Impact = S. Vietnam loses to N. Vietnam
Becomes 1 Communist country

8. Mayaguez captured
U.S. supply ship boarded by Khmer Rouge off coast of Cambodia
Negotiations for hostages fails
U.S. rescue attempt occurs
18 die, 41 wounded on the ship
About same # for Khmer Rouge
1 of 3 U.S. helicopters crashes
23 more soldiers die
Viewed as big failure
More died than rescued

9. 1976 Election Republican candidate = Ford (barely)
Big split in party
a lot wanted Reagan (explain)
Democrat candidate = Jimmy Carter
Former governor of Georgia
Peanut farmer
hard worker, nice guy
religious, family man
Carter wins close election
Bottom line
People want a change

10. 1976 Election Results

11. Carter’s Style Promised to talk with the public regularly
like FDR
Didn’t have a good relationship with Congress
Made it hard to get his goals accomplished

12. Carter’s Energy Policy
Most important issue facing the nation
Carter’s solution = use less foreign oil
How to do that?
National Energy Act
Tax gas guzzling cars
Lower speed limit
Encourage oil production in the U.S.
A lot of oilfields popped up
Off coast, Texas
Encourage development of alternative energy
Provide tax incentives and grants
Carter installed
Solar Panels
At the White
House

14. Energy Policy Impact Didn’t work well U.S. too dependent on oil
OPEC raised oil prices due to
Instability in Middle East
Lower supply of oil in U.S.
oil workers strike
Lines at Gas stations to fill up
Shortages
Rationing
explain the waste
Big reason for high inflation rate of 14%
Standard of living for U.S. citizens drops
from 1st place to 5th place globally

15. The Economy Under Carter
Cuts in U.S. manufacturing jobs due to
More automation
assembly lines & computers
Foreigners work for less $
globalization
Rising energy costs
less $ available for workers
Increase in U.S. Service jobs
Communications
Transportation
Good jobs require good education
Some people struggle with this

16. Civil Rights Under Carter
More minorities and women appointed to high positions
Compared to any previous president
Supreme Court begins to limit affirmative action programs
U. of California v. Bakke (pp. 818 – 819)

17. Foreign Policy Under Carter
different than Nixon and Ford
no realpolitik or détente
Focused on Human Rights
if govt. in a country treated its people good,
Carter believed in having relations with and
helping them
Influenced by his strong religious upbringing

19. U.S. Relations around the world under Carter
Agreed to give up control of Panama Canal by the year 2000.
Controversial at the time
improved relations between the U.S. and Latin Am.
Less Diplomacy with Soviet Union, China, Brazil, Argentina
These countries treated many of their people poorly

20. The Soviet – Afghanistan War (1979 – 1989)
Countries had a good long term relationship
Afghan rebels (mujahedin) threaten to take over in Afghanistan
Soviets don’t like this
send in troops to help existing Afghan govt.
U.S. eventually supports mujahedin
Provide weapons and training (No US troops)
Want less Soviet influence in Middle East
War becomes Soviet version of Vietnam
Afghan rebels win (Civil War begins)
Who eventually runs it? THE TALIBAN
They use weapons we provided them against us when we invade after 9/11/2001

22. Camp David Accords (Sept. 1978)
Jimmy Carter organizes this meeting in U.S. at Presidential retreat
Anwar Sadat – Egypt’s President
Menachem Begin – Israel’s Prime Minister
The Deal
Egypt gets some land back from Israel (Sinai)
Egypt recognizes Israel’s right to exist
1st Middle Eastern country to ever do so
Both leaders win Nobel Peace Prize
Reaction
PR success for U.S.
Most of Middle East hates it
Sadat looks like a sell out
Assassinated in 1981
Palestinian Leader

24. Origin of the Iran Hostage Crisis
the Shah of Iran had a long positive relationship with the U.S.
in power from 1941 – 1979
didn’t treat most people well
contradicts Carter’s Human Rights foreign policy
almost lost power once in the early 1950s
Remember Chapter 19? (pp. 623 – 624)

25. Iranian Revolution (1979) Forces Shah to leave Ends up in U.S.
Has cancer
Gets treatment
Ayatollah Khomeni
New Iranian leader
Muslim, Traditional
Opposite of Shah
Wants Shah to “stand trial”
For crimes against Iranians
Carter refuses to send him back

26. Iran Hostage Crisis (late 1979 – early 1981)
Revolutionaries storm U.S. embassy
Take 52 Americans hostage
A few escape (Argo movie)
Held for over a yr.
Carter unable to negotiate their release
during his Presidency
Biggest Reason Reagan (Republicans) win
Economy still sucks too