1. The Nixon Administration
Chapter 24

2. Introduction Nixon was elected amidst the turmoil of 1968
He appealed to the silent majority to get elected
He promised to end the war & restore law & order
He was determined to turn America in a more conservative direction

3. The New Federalism
Nixon wanted to decrease the size & influence of the federal gov which had grown under Gt Society
He wanted to distribute fed’l power to the state & local govs
To do so he instituted a revenue sharing program in which $ was returned to the states so they could spend it how they saw fit
He hoped the states would use the $ for police & civil projects rather than have it used for Great Society programs

4. Welfare Reform
Nixon sought to reduce the role of the fed’l gov in the welfare system.
Family Assistance Program – poor families would receive a fixed amount of $1600 but heads of households had to sign up for job training
Intended to reduce the fed’l bureaucracy & reduce fraud
Program died in the Senate with both liberal & conservative critics

5. Nixon’s Impact on Great Society Programs
Nixon chipped away at Gt Society programs by cutting off federal $ for urban renewal, job training and education.
When Congress opposed his bids to reduce funding for certain projects he “impounded” or refused to spend the funds
By 1973 he had impounded about $15 billion
The courts eventually ruled that impoundment was unconstitutional because only Congress had the authroity to decide how fed’l funds were spent

6. Law & Order Politics
Silent majority was tired of urban riots & antiwar protests
To silence antiwar & CR protesters & other critics the admin:
Used the IRS to harass enemies by auditing tax returns
Used FBI to illegally tap phones & break into homes
Nixon created an “enemies list” of 200 individuals
Nixon used his VP, Spiro Agnew, to lash out at critics

7. Nixon’s Southern Strategy
Plan to help Nixon win the 1972 election
The South had always been a democratic stronghold but Southern Democrats felt the Democratic Party had become too liberal
Nixon began to forge new Southern conservative coalition
In an approach known as the Southern strategy Nixon tried to attract southern conservative Democrats that were unhappy with the federal desegregation policies, Great Society & civil rights program & liberal supreme court decisions.

8. Conservative Backlash
First surfaced during the 1968 election when Southern Democrats supported George Wallace, an independent candidate.
Wallace carried 5 southern states, 13.5% of pop vote
Nixon wanted these conservative voters so he pursued his southern strategy which involved
Attempt to slow down integration and
Attempt to stop busing
Nomination of southerners to the Supreme Court

9. Integration
To attract Southern voters Nixon attempted but failed to delay integration.
He asked the HEW to delay desegregation.
This was in violation of Brown II Supreme Court decision which stated that deseg must take place with “all deliberate speed.”
NAACP filed suit and desegregation took place

10. Controversy Over Busing
Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Edu stated that school districts could use busing to integrate schools
Nixon went on TV to urge Congress to halt busing.
He wasn’t successful but the South heard him loud and clear as did Northern whites who were fed up with the liberalism of the Democratic party

11. The Supreme Court Nixon criticized the liberal Supreme Court
During his 1st term four justices retired which afforded him the opportunity to appoint new ones to change the direction of the Supreme Court
Warren Burger replaced Earl Warren as chief justice
Nominated two southern judges who were not confirmed – claimed it was prejudice against the So.

12. Stagflation 1967-1973 High unemployment + inflation = stagflation
Causes:
Fed funding of federal programs such as Gt Society
Increased competition in international trade
New workforce including women & baby boomers
Dependency on foreign oil

13. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
Western consumption of OPEC oil grew massively during the 1960s-70s.
Prices were constantly rising and then in 1973 during the Yom Kippur war the Arab members of OPEC embargoed the US
When Arabs resumed selling oil to US the price had quadrupled.
This exacerbated the problem of inflation & led to a recession

14. How did Nixon Battle Stagflation?
1) To reverse deficit spending he proposed budget cuts and rise in taxes – but Congress did not support this
2) Tried to reduce the amount of $ in circulation by urging higher interest rates – led to recession.
3)Wage & price controls for 90 days

15. Realpolitik Political realism – more pragmatic
Foreign policy should be made on considerations of power not ideology or beliefs
Reversed the earlier confrontational policy of containment which refused to recognize Communist countries
Meant dealing directly with communist nations

16. Detente More flexible policy Aimed at easing Cold War tensions
Startling example was Nixon’s visit to China in 1972
Nixon could pull this off because he had made his earlier political career on his anti-communism

17. US & China The US never recognized the People’s Republic of China.
Nixon announces the reversal of that policy and seeks normalization of relations
By visiting China Nixon was exploiting 10-year rift between USSR & China.
“We want to have the Chinese with us when we sit down and negotiate with the Russians”

18. US & USSR 3 months later, Nixon travels to the USSR Successful as well
Strategic Arms & Limitations Treaty (SALT) is signed
Foreign policy successes & admin’s announcement that “peace was at hand” helped to reelect Nixon.
Watergate however, was on the horizon…