Richard Nixon Election of 1968 R Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon

Election of 1968 ● ● ● (R) Richard Nixon vs (D) Hubert Humphrey vs (I) George C. Wallace Violent Democratic convention Nixon promised to get out of Vietnam & listen to the Silent Majority Nixon’s Southern Strategy - promise law and order to southern Conservatives Nixon wins

Ending the war in Vietnam ● Nixon wanted “peace with honor” ● Used Vietnamization - gradual withdrawal of troops to allow S. Vietnam troops to take control ● 1973 Paris Peace Accords signed - remaining American troops come home

Nixon and the Cold War ● February 1972 - Nixon meets with communist leaders in China - recognizes the People’s Republic of China ● 1979 - Full diplomatic relations between US and China ● May 1972 - Nixon visits Soviet Union ● Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (Salt I) signed - froze deployment of IBMs and ABMs

Nixon and the Cold War ● SALT I did not end arms race but was step toward the goal ● Nixon’s policy of détente - easing of cold war tensions ● This changed US’ stance on Communism - more flexible

Nixon and Domestic Issues ● Won reelection in a landslide in 1972 ● Nixon calls for “New Federalism” - money flows back to states from DC ● Under Nixon new federal agencies came into being: ○ ○ ○ OSHA EPA DEA

Domestic Issues ● The economy struggled under Nixon ● Experience a period of stagflation - recession and inflation ○ ○ ○ Deficits caused by Vietnam war Foreign competition Oil embargo from Arab countries

Domestic Issues ● Nixon used the Southern Strategy to gain votes from blue collar workers and southern whites ● Nixon publicly criticized busing ● Nixon instituted Philadelphia Plan - made federal contractors to submit goals and timetables for hiring minorities

Watergate ● ● 1972 - Democratic Party headquarters broken into at the Watergate Hotel 1973 - James Mc. Cord said administration officials had been involved Witness said the President and the White House were involved in a coverup Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein met with “Deepthroat” - gave info on White House ties to cover up

Watergate ● ● ● 1973 - VP Spiro Agnew resigns amid corruption charge 1973 - revealed Nixon had been taping Oval Office conversations Nixon refused to turn over tapes citing executive privilege Courts force turnover of tapes - key parts missing August 8, 1973 - Nixon becomes only US President to resign Creates distrust of gov’t