1. The Nixon Administration
Chapter 24, Section 1

2. New Federalism
Great Society had given the federal government too much responsibility
Decrease size and influence of federal government
Distribute a portion of federal power to state and local governments
Revenue Sharing: state and local governments could spend their federal dollars however they saw fit (certain limitations)

3. Welfare Reform
Family Assistance Plan: Every family of four with no outside income would receive a base federal payment of $1600 with a provision to earn up to $4000 in supplemental income
Unemployed participants (excluding mothers of preschoolers) would have to take job training and accept any reasonable work offered to them
Bill defeated

4. New Federalism Wears Two Faces
Increased Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid programs and made food stamps more accessible
Impounded $15 billion affecting more than 100 federal programs
Impoundment found unconstitutional
Abolished EEOC

5. Law and Order Politics Battled liberal elements of society
De-escalated the war in Vietnam
Restore order to appease the silent majority upset by urban rioting and antiwar demonstrations
Illegal wiretaps of left-wing affiliates (Watergate)
CIA investigated and compiled documents on thousands of American dissidents
Personal “enemies” list
Agnew; combative and denounced the opposition and media as liberal cheerleaders

6. Law and Order Policies

7. Southern Strategy
1972 election; working toward a conservative coalition
Tried to attract Southern conservative democrats
Appealed to their unhappiness with federal desegregation laws and a liberal Supreme Court
Promised to name a Southerner to the SC

8. A New South
By 1968, most southern democrats had become disillusioned with the party
Great Society too liberal
CRM too liberal
George Wallace carried 5 southern states and 13% of the popular vote
Nixon wanted THESE voters
Keep the White House and recapture the majority in Congress

9. Nixon Slows Integration
“There are those who want instant integration and those who want segregation forever. I believe we need to have a middle course between those extremes.”
Reversed several civil rights policies
Ordered delay of desegregation of schools in South Carolina and Mississippi
Question: What SC decision did this violate?
Opposed extension to Voting Rights Act

10. Controversy over Busing
Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education (1971): school districts may bus students to other schools to end the pattern of all-black/all-white schools
Nixon supported stopping the busing

11. A Battle Over the Supreme Court
During the 1968 campaign, Nixon criticized the Warren Court for being too liberal
Four justices left the bench during Nixon’s first term
Appointed more conservative justices
Did not always make conservative decisions

12. 26th Amendment
1971
Voting rights extended to Americans 18 years or older
Could fight in Vietnam, but couldn’t vote?
Why did liberals support this amendment?
Why did conservatives oppose it?

13. Stagflation High inflation and high unemployment
Deficit spending under Johnson
Increased competition in international trade
Flood of new workers (baby boomers and women)
Heavy dependency on foreign oil

14. OPEC
During the 1960s, America received most of its oil from the oil-producing countries from the Middle East
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries: Middle East oil cartel; gradually raised prices during the 1960s
Yom Kippur War
Israel vs. Syria and Egypt
Holiest Jewish Holiday
US sent massive aid to Israel
OPEC cut off oil sales to US and worsened inflation

15. The Yom Kippur War

16. Nixon Battles Inflation
Tried to raise taxes and cut the budget
Tried to reduce money in circulation by raising interest rates
Price and wage controls
Froze workers’ wages, businesses’ prices and fees for 90 days

17. Nixon’s Foreign Policy
Realpolitik: Political realism
Foreign policy should be based solely on consideration of power, not ideals or moral principles
More practical to ignore weak countries, even if they were communist
Henry Kissinger (Sec of State)
Détente:
Policy aimed at easing Cold War tensions
Flexible; willingness to negotiate and ease tensions between communist nations
Visited China in 1972

18. Nixon Visits China Communist takeover of China in 1949
Not recognized by the US government
Trying to take advantage of a rift between the USSR and China
“We want to have the Chinese with us then we sit down and negotiate with the Russians.”
Enormously symbolic
Settle disputes peacefully
Participate in scientific and cultural exchanges

19. Nixon Travels to Moscow
First US president to ever visit
Brezhnev and Nixon
SALT I Treaty
Limited number of missile production
“Peace is at hand”
Re-elected
Six months to withdraw troops from Vietnam
The War is over

20. Nixon Visits China and USSR