Modern America

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Modern America
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• Focus Question What factors helped Richard
  Nixon win the election of 1968?

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Richard M. Nixon (68-74)

• New Federalism distribute some federal power to
  the states.
• Pursued Conservative Policies
• Little government spending
• Cuts to programs that cost money

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• Did not get along with Congress
• Refused to spend money on programs he didnt like
• Used the FBI, CIA and IRS to harass those who
  opposed him. (Liberal Democrats, Anti-War and
  Civil Rights Advocates)

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• Clashed with the Supreme Court on nominees.
  Wanted conservatives on the bench.
• They rejected two of his nominees.

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• 1973- The economy wasnt growing
• Inflation and Unemployment rose Stagflation
• Vietnam War had drained the governments money

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• Reduced supply of oil by Arab nations in the US
  because of our support of Israel
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) power to
  research, set and enforce pollution standards.
  Still exists today

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Watergate

• The Watergate scandal is named for the Watergate
  hotel and office complex in Washington D.C.
• It is what eventually ruined Richard Nixon

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• June 17 Five men were arrested at Watergate
  during a pathetically bungled break-in at the
  Democratic Headquarters
• The purpose of the break-in was to plant
  listening devices in the phones of democratic
  leaders and to obtain info

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• Sept 15 Eventually seven men are indicted
• Nov 7 Nixon crushes George McGovern in the 1972
  election
• Dec 8 The wife of one of the seven arrested men
  dies is a plane crash

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• She is carrying 10,000 (all in 100s), to be
  delivered as hush money to someone in Chicago
• April 30, 1973 Nixon shakes up his White House
  staff in an effort rid himself of any wrong doing

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• June 25 Nixon is accused of authorizing hush
  money to be delivered to the seven men arrested
• July-Oct Vice President Spiro Agnew resigns
  after being found guilty of tax evasion. Gerald
  Ford is chosen the new VP

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• Oct 30 Nixon is forced to hand over Oval Office
  tapes. Two tapes are missing.
• Nov 21 Investigators learn that one tape has an
  18 minute gap

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• Jan 4, 1974 Nixon refuses to turn over 500
  additional subpoenaed tapes
• March 1 Seven former White House staff members
  are indicted for obstructing justice

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• April 29 Nixon offers a 1,200 page transcript of
  the tapes that have been subpoenaed
• July 24 Supreme Ct. rules that the tapes must be
  turned over

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• July 27 The House Judiciary Comm. Approves 2
  articles of impeachment
• Aug 5 Nixon admits he ordered a halt to the
  Watergate investigation break-in

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• Aug 8 Nixon announces that he will resign at
  noon the following day. He does so because
  republican congressmen told him he will likely be
  impeached and convicted

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• Aug 9 Nixon formally resigns. Gerald Ford is
  sworn into office
• Sept 8 Ford grants Nixon a full pardon

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Discussion Questions

• 1. Explain Nixons New Federalism.
• 2. Why did the Presidents Men break in to the
  Democratic Headquarters?

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• Focus Question What were the results of the
  Watergate scandal?

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Mark Felt Deep Throat
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• Assistant Director of the FBI
• Revealed himself in May of 2005.
• Died in December of 2008

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Gerald R. Ford (74-76)

• Ford was likeable and honest but he pardoned
  Nixon
• The poor economy didnt help

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• His efforts to help the economy failed
• Whip Inflation Now (WIN) encouraged Americans
  to cut back on oil and gas
• In two years he vetoed 50 pieces of legislation
  that would have put more money into the economy.

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• Ford did negotiate with China and the Soviet
  Union and signed the Helsinki Accords (along with
  35 other nations) which would promise greater
  cooperation between nations in Eastern and
  Western Europe.

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Jimmy Carter (76-80)

• Carter was an outsider
• Not involved with scandalous Watergate affair
• He was a peanut farmer with a nuclear physics
  degree
• Governor of Georgia

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• Carter promised to never lie to the American
  public.
• He won a close election over Ford
• Many had not forgiven Ford for his pardon of
  Nixon and of draft-dodgers

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• Carter faced an energy crisis
• Oil prices were high because of the oil cartel
  (Org. of Petroleum Exporting Countries) who were
  controlling prices.
• New sources of energy were expensive
• National Energy Act taxed gas-guzzling cars

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• Nuclear Disaster at Three-Mile Island
• Partial Core Meltdown in a Nuclear Generating
  Station
• Reactor overheated after cooling system failed
• Release of radioactive gases
• No one killed or injured
• Debate over Nuclear Power

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• Economic Problems of the 1970s
• Caused by automation
• Few manufacturing jobs
• Caused by more foreign competition
• Led to a 26 approval rating for Carter, lower
  than Nixon

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• Foreign Policy
• Carter arranged a peace agreement between Israel
  and Egypt
• The U.S. has been providing assistance to Iran
  since the 50s. In 1979, religious leader
  Ayatollah Khomeini led a rebellion against the
  Iranian govt.

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• The U.S. supported the Shah of Iran
• Muslim fundamentalists seized power in Iran
• Took control of the American embassy and held 52
  hostages for 444 days
• The U.S. banned all trade with Iran

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• Hostages were freed just minutes after Ronald
  Reagan was inaugurated on Jan 20, 1981

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• Carter signed an agreement that would return
  control of the Panama Canal to Panama on Dec.
  31st, 1999.

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Discussion Questions

• 1. Why didnt Americans support Ford from the
  beginning?
• 2. What happened at Three Mile Island?

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• Focus Question What are some topics that remain
  a constant source of focus for Presidents over
  time?

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Conservativism

• American history has been marked by swings
  between liberal and conservative policies.
• Liberal 30s New Deal, 60s Great Society
• Conservative Roaring 20s, 50s

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• Conservatives took more control in 1980
• High Inflation
• Most thought their taxes were too high
• The govt was involved in their life

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• New Right was born
• Goals
• Reducing the power of government
• Cutting expensive programs
• Mainstreaming Civil Rights
• No preference towards any groups minority or
  majority

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• Ronald Reagan wins the presidency in 1980 on
  these beliefs
• Reagans goal was to cut the federal government
  down to a minimum and grant large tax cuts to
  free money for personal investment

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• Increase defense spending
• Strategic Defense Initiative SDI system to
  keep Americans safe from enemy missiles.
  Nicknamed Star Wars

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Attempted Assassination

• John Hinkley Jr.
• March 30, 1981 Attempted to assassinate President
  Reagan
• It was an attempt to impress actress Jodi Foster
  whom he was obsessed with.
• Found not guilty by reason of insanity.

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• Result of Reagans Administration
• Did fuel economic growth
• Tax revenues did not increase and the government
  had to borrow money
• National debt doubled

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• Reaganomics large tax cuts to increase private
  investments, which he thought would increase the
  supply of goods and services. Passed a 25 cut
  in federal income taxes.

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• Reagans policies won support with business
  people, southerners and westerners, and many
  former democrats. These voters combined to
  re-elect Reagan in 1984 and elect George Bush in
  1988.

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Issues of the 80s

• Schools became a hot issue Many believed public
  schools were inadequate
• AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a
  fatal disease that spread rapidly

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• Inner cities deteriorated Funding was cut along
  with welfare programs
• 1984 First woman on the Presidential ticket
  Geraldine Ferraro (Mondale)

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• Iran-Contra Affair The government secretly sold
  weapons to Iran then used the money to fund the
  Contras fighting in Nicaragua against an
  illegitimate government thought to support
  communists. This was in violation of
  Congressional ban on military aid in the region.

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Oliver North

• Member of National Security Council key role in
  aiding the Contras

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• National debt soared from 900 billion in 1980 to
  4 trillion in 1992 making the U.S. the worlds
  leading debtor nation.

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Gulf War and Bush

• Iraq seized oil rich Kuwait in 1990. President
  Bush led a UN effort to fight and liberate
  Kuwait.
• If Iraq conquered Saudi Arabia and Kuwait it
  would threaten U.S. oil supplies

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• Operation Desert Storm was launched on January
  16, 1991.
• On Feb. 28th a cease fire was announced.
• Following the war, Bush had a 90 approval rating

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• Despite his campaign promise, Bush did raise
  taxes because of rising deficits and a recession.
• Read my lips, no new taxes!

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• When the recession hit, his support went away
• Bill Clinton, a skilled campaigner, won the 1992
  election.
• Clinton was a breath of fresh air to a beaten
  Democratic party

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Discussion Questions

• 1. What were Reagans goals?
• 2. What were the results of Reaganomics?

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• Focus How was Operation Desert Storm different
  from todays war in Iraq?

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Bill Clinton

• Clinton was the Governor of Arkansas
• First Baby Boomer President
• Americans questioned his patriotism and character.

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• Clintons Goals
• Health insurance for all Americans did not
  succeed.
• Reduce the national debt by increasing taxes and
  cutting spending. Resulted in the first balanced
  budget since 1969.

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• NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) lift
  trade barrier between the US, Canada and Mexico
• Trade with Mexico increased, but some plants
  moved to Mexico costing people jobs.

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• Clinton battled with republicans in 1994, losing
  some support, but won the Presidency again in
  1996. (Only 49 of voters participated)
• Instead of forcing China to protect human rights,
  he protected their trading status.

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George W. Bush

• Wins the Election of 2000, 2004
• Governor of Texas
• No Child Left Behind sought to raise standards
  in schools.
• 9/11 Attacks
• War on Terror
• Department of Homeland Security

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• Economic Recession
• Government Stimulus Package
• Tax Cuts

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Barack Obama

• Wins the Election of 2008
• Facing a serious economic recession
• Stimulus Package
• Industry Bail Outs

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Terrorism

• Terrorism has been a part of American life since
  the late 1970s
• Following the end of the Cold War the US has not
  been completely opposed to another nation since
  the fall of the USSR

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• However, US troops around the world have been a
  target of rogue terrorist groups
• In Lebanon a marine barracks was attacked and
  350 marines were killed while they slept

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• The USS Cole was attacked in 2000 and a number
  troops were killed.
• The terrorist group, Al-Qaeda has declared a war
  on the United States

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Terrorist attacks at home

• Oklahoma City 1995
• Some citizens oppose the governments right to
  have any control over them
• Timothy McVeigh drove a truck loaded with
  explosives in front of the Murray federal
  building in OKC

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• The explosives destroyed the front half of the
  building
• 200 people were killed in the blast including 22
  small children

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World Trade Center

• When fundamentalist groups took over in Iran in
  1979, the United States froze their assets
• Didnt allow them to access their money

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• The Chase Manhattan Bank in NY issued bonds from
  the frozen assets
• The Chase Manhattan Bank also funded the building
  of the World Trade Center

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• March 1993 a bomb exploded in the garage below
  the WTC
• 3 Fundamentalists were arrested
• Their goal was to topple one tower into another

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• September 11, 2001 Terrorist hijacked four
  commercial planes
• Two planes flew into the WTC
• One flew into the Pentagon
• One was brought down by passengers in rural Penn.

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• Since 9-11 there have been many warnings of
  terrorist attacks, but luckily none of come about.

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Today

• Focus on the economy, creating jobs, avoiding
  foreclosures
• New Technology to reduce dependence on foreign
  oil
• Health Care
• Education
• Etc.

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Discussion Questions

• 1. What is NAFTA?
• 2. When was the first attack on the World Trade
  Center? Why?