1. 1970’s-Today

2. 1970’s I. Richard Nixon (R) (1968-74) A. Domestic Policy 1. oil crisis a. OPEC – embargo on oil shipped to US 2. Swan v. CMS Board of Ed. a. allowed busing of students to speed up school desegregation 3. appointed four justices to Supreme Court 4. Apollo 11 – landed on the moon a. “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

3. 1970’s B. Foreign Policy 1. Henry Kissinger (Sec.of State) 2. negotiated end of Vietnam War 3. Détente a. thaw in Cold War; decrease in tension b/t US-USSR b. SALT I i. treaty to limit nuclear weapons b/t US-USSR ii. effort to work together

4. 1970’s 4. China a. Nixon was first US president to visit Communist China b. “Ping-Pong” diplomacy

5. 1970’s C. Watergate Scandal 1. Committee to Re-elect the President a. wanted to make sure Nixon won b. broke into Dem.Party headquarters at Watergate Hotel to bug phones; got caught 2. Nixon did not know about break-in, but helped in cover up afterwards 3. won re-election in landslide 4. Washington Post reporters followed story a. Woodward, Bernstein

6. 1970’s 5. House of Rep. started impeachment investigation a. Oval Office tape recordings discovered b. Nixon refused to turn over tapes => claimed executive privilege c. US v. Nixon i. Supreme Court ordered Nixon to give up tapes 6. House ready to vote to impeach 7. Nixon resigned; VP Ford sworn in as President 8. low point in history => loss of trust in government

7. 1970’s II. Gerald Ford (R) (1974- 76) A. Non-elected President 1. congressman chosen as VP after Nixon’s VP resigned 2. became Pres. after Nixon resigned 3. pardoned Nixon; huge negative reaction

8. 1970’s B. Domestic Policy 1. economic troubles a. unemployment, inflation C. Foreign Policy 1. War Powers Act a. law passed by Congress to limit power of President to make war/send troops 2. South VN fell to communist North VN 3. US celebrated Bicentennial

9. 1970’s III. Jimmy Carter (D) (1976-80) A. Washington “outsider” a. election was partly a reaction to Watergate B. Domestic Policy 1. economic problems a. gas shortages 2. Three Mile Island a. nuclear power plant accident

10. 1970’s 3. pardoned persons who had left country to avoid draft during VN 4. Regents of Univ. of Cal. v. Bakke a. Supreme Court case dealing w/affirmative action b. “reverse discrimination” case

11. 1970’s C. Foreign Policy 1. Camp David Accords a. Carter helped negotiate peace treaty b/t Egypt-Israel b. Egypt became first Arab country to recognize Israel

12. 1970’s 2. Détente continued w/ USSR until Carter pushed human rights abuses by USSR