US PRESIDENTS NIXON FORD CARTER REAGAN NIXON PRESIDENCY

US PRESIDENTS NIXON FORD CARTER REAGAN

NIXON PRESIDENCY 1968 -1974 • • • Wins Presidency after the assassination of RFK New Federalism OSHA – Occupation Safety and Health Admin. EPA and the Clean Air Act DEA – Drug Enforcement Agency Energy Reorganization Act – Nuclear Regulatory Commission • Moon Shot - 1969 • 26 th Amendment - 1971

NIXON’S PRESIDENCY FOREIGN POLICY • • Nixon Doctrine, 1969 China – reopening of relations in 1971 USSR – détente, visit in 1972 SALT

WATERGATE • 1972 – Democratic Party Headquarters in the Watergate Hotel in Washington D. C. was broken into on June 17, 1972 • Committee to Re-elect the President • Wiretaps planted • Linked back to the White House • Nixon denied knowledge • 1973 – Senate committee established to investigate

Watergate (cont’d) • VP Spiro Agnew resigned when charged with income tax evasion • Gerald Ford appointed new VP • 1973 – White House tapes discovered • Nixon refused to hand over tapes • Supreme Court ordered tapes turned over (US v. Richard Nixon) • Nixon resigned before impeachment charges are brought against him (August 9, 1974) • Pardoned by Ford

Gerald Ford 1974 -76 • • • Assumes office after Nixon’s resignation Nixon’s pardon Amnesty Plan Inflation due to OPEC embargo Lost close election in 1976

Ford Foreign Policy • Helsinki Accords, 1973 – Tried to ease Cold War tensions – Called for cooperation – Would withhold aid from any nation in violation of human rights • End of Viet Nam War in 1975

JIMMY CARTER 1976 -1980 • Appeal of “Down Home Values” • Faced a difficult Congress that questioned everything (hang-over from Nixon) • Inflation continued • Energy problems (OPEC) • Corporation bailouts: Chrysler and Lockheed • Acid Rain • 3 Mile Island, 1979

Carter – Foreign Policy • Camp David Accords, 1977 – Temporary agreement reached between Egypt and Israel • USSR – Afghanistan – Olympic boycott • Iranian Hostage Crisis, 1979 • Agreed to return canal to Panama in 1999

RONALD REAGAN 1980 -1988 • Return to the “Good Old Days” – Conservative approach to government • Supply Side Economics/Reagonomics – Reduce taxes for businesses and wealthy • Balanced Budget – reduced Gov. spending by cutting social welfare programs • Star Wars – Strategic defense initiative – Against MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) – Defend against nuclear missiles in space

Reagan Domestic Policy • Immigration – 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act • Forbid hiring of undocumented workers • Allowed for seasonal migrant workers • Allowed legal status to illegal immigrants who were in the country since 1982 without incident

Reagan – Foreign Policy • Tough against Communism – USSR – THE EVIL EMPIRE – Poland – sanctions when Solidarity banned – Central America: aid to prevent Communism from spreading • Middle East – Lebanon – US troops sent in as part of UN initiative (Christians v. Muslims) • • • PLO used southern Lebanon as base to attack Israel invaded in 1982 Threatened peace in Middle East 800 marines and UN forces arrived Resulted in first suicided bombers 1983 Iran took US hostages in Lebanon

Reagan Foreign Policy • Iran Contra Affair, 1986 • Civil War in Nicaragua between Sandinistas and Contras • Contras wanted US aid, refused by congress • Approved sale in arms to Iran to get release of prisoners in Lebanon • Profit secretly sent to Contras against Congressional orders • Reagan cleared, but Col. Oliver North took fall • End of the Cold War-”Tear down that wall”