Crisis and Resurgence

CRISIS AND RESURGENCE1969-2000

The Impact of Watergate•Copy the chart on page 334 in your notebook from the Brown Book

Ford’s Presidency 1974-1977• His first act as President was to pardon Nixon

• In his Presidency experienced “stagflation”- high unemployment with inflation

Imperial Presidency• Richard Nixon was President from 1969-1974• He was conservative • Abused his power• Bombed Cambodia and Laos without consulting Congress • Radio and television increased the President’s ability to

appeal to the public quickly

OPEC• Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries• Formed by Arab countries • In 1973 Arab nations placed an embargo of oil on the

United States for siding with Israel• Oil prices shot up • Heating a home, prices of food, electricity, and gasoline

became very expensive

Carter’s Presidency 1977-1981• Make a foldable of Carter’s Domestic Program chart on

page 336 of the brown book

Community Reinvestment Act • Required banks to make credit available in poor

communities, preventing the decay of low income neighborhoods in inner cities

Israel and Palestine Conflict• In 1948 the United Nations established Israel as the

homeland of the Jews after the Holocaust• Many Jews had lived there along with Palestinian Arabs• U.S. Policy was very supportive of Israel• Israel relied on U.S. economic and Military aid from the U.S.

Camp David Accords • In 1948 Israel and Egypt were at war • In 1977 President Carter invited Anwar Sadat, the

President of Egypt and Menachem Begin, the Prime Minister of Israel to a peace agreement at Camp David in Maryland

• Under the Camp David Accords Israel agreed to return the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt and in exchange Egypt offered a peace treaty with Israel ending a 30 year war

Iran Hostage Crisis • Create a foldable on this incident

• Who was involved:• What was the reason for the conflict:• Where did this conflict occur:• When did the conflict occur:• Why did it occur:

****Make sure you mention the Ayatollah Khomeini*****

Tinker v. Des Moines 1969• The Supreme court continued to protect First amendment

rights• The Issue: students were suspended for wearing black

arm bands to school to protest the Vietnam War• The Ruling: the Supreme Court said this was a violation of

their 1st amendment right and said students could wear the armbands and protest the war

Wisconsin vs Yoder 1972• The issue: Wisconsin law required Amish children to go to

school past the 8th grade• The Ruling: the Supreme Court said this was a violation of

Amish religious beliefs on the issue of freedom of religion

Inflation • 1970’s saw prices rises• Rising unemployment • Nixon cut social programs to control spending• Took America off the gold standard• Imposed wage and price control• All attempts to control inflation did not work

EPA• Environmental Protection Act• Passed by Nixon • Sets air and water pollution standards for citi4es and

engages in monitoring and enforcement activities. Private citizens can file lawsuits against polluters under the EPA

Endangered Species Act 1973• Nixon placed this law in effect • Requires fish and wildlife service to list species of plants

and animals that are endangered and threatened with extinction

• Law is designed to protect endangered plants and animals

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)• 1972 the Equal Rights Amendment that states “ Equality

of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the U.S. on account of sex

• This amendment was finally approved after years of suffrage fighting

Phyllis Schlafly• Critic the Equal Rights Amendment• She believed that this amendment hurt the roles of

mothers and wives• Schlafly also believed that the ERA deprived women of

the “right” to be supported and protected by men.• She believed unisex bathrooms and the requirement for

women to fight in combat was next

Scandal in the White House and the Watergate Crisis • Under the 25th amendment Nixon replaced his Vice

President with Gerald Ford when it was discovered he was taking bribes in office

• Watergate Crisis

• 1972 a group of CIA agents working for Nixon’s re-election campaign broke into the Democratic party headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington D.C. to steal information regarding Nixon’s political opponents

Watergate Cover Up • Nixon tried to cover up the break in by stating it was a

matter of national security • Nixon was investigated anyway by the Attorney General • Watergate tapes: A Presidential aide said Nixon helped in

the cover up • Second Nixon was found recording all of his White House

conversations and refused to give up his tapes for investigation citing “executive privilege”

• Nixon also stated that Congress had no authority to question members of the Executive Branch

Watergate Scandal • http://youtu.be/IHnmriyXYeg

United States vs. Nixon • Nixon stated that if he gave up his tapes then he would be

violating the separation of powers clause and it would lead to judicial control of the Presidency.

• When the case was appealed the U.S. Supreme Court they ruled that Nixon had to give up the tapes reaffirming the principle that NO ONE is above the law.

Nixon resigns• When the tapes were made public it proved that Nixon

was involved in the scandal and cover up and the House of Representatives moved to “impeach” him.

• Fearing removal from political office, Nixon resigns instead of being impeached.

• No U. S. President has ever been impeached and removed

• Impeachment is a formal accusation of wrong doing• If Nixon had been impeached by both the Senate and the

House of Representatives he would have been the only President in history to be “removed” from office as well

Nixon’s Foreign Policy • Nixon re-opened relations with China 1972 and restored

diplomatic relations with Communist China. • Détente with the Soviet Union 1972- Détente: a relaxing

of tensions• Nixon became the first President to visit China and

Moscow • 1972 Nixon signed the SALT agreement that limited the

development of nuclear missiles