1970’s to present

The Presidents

1960 ‣ 1968 election

represented conservative vote

‣ Most Americans wanted to end the protests, violence, counterculture, & drugs.

Richard Nixon Wins 1968

Vietnam Ends

‣ Vietnamization ‣ 1972 SALT I- Soviet Union and U.S. sign

Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty which froze the nuclear missiles on each side for 5 years.

‣ Détente- began diplomatic relations with China( Mao Zedong) and Soviet Union( Leonid Brezhnev).

‣ Nixon Doctrine- In the future, U.S. would give $ aid but not troops. Other countries would have to fight their own wars.

Accomplishments of Nixon

‣ 1970- Americans informed of My Lai

‣ Reaction: increase in anti-war protests (& Kent State Massacre)

‣ 1971- Pentagon Papers released

‣ CREEP & “Plumbers” ‣ Enemies List ‣ Reflected attitude to

use any means to promote National Security

Could Nixon win re-election with so many fiascos?

‣ Wiretaps found at Democrats National Headquarters in Watergate Hotel in D.C. BUSTED!!

‣ Nixon had previously ordered wiretaps of gov’t employees & reporters who exposed secret bombing of Cambodia.

Watergate

‣ No solid proof that Nixon was involved, but he DID order cover-up.

‣ 1973- V.P. Spiro Agnew resigned- tax evasion and bribes. Enter Gerald Ford.

‣ Nixon refuses to release tapes of conversations from Oval Office.

‣“Saturday Night Massacre”: Oct 20, Archibald Cox (sp. pros. of Wtg. scandal) Cox had issued subpoena for tapes, was fired. Att. Gen. & Deputy Gen. resigned b/c didn’t want to fire Cox.

More Watergate

‣ 1974- some of the transcripts are released ‣ Impeachment hearings begin (abuse of

justice, power, contempt) ‣ August 9, Nixon resigns ‣ Significance: loss of faith in gov’t. Ford becomes only president to become

president without being voted into office of V.P. or President.

End of Watergate

‣ Southern Strategy in 1968 election‣ New Federalism‣ Clean Air Act 1970‣ EPA‣ OSHA‣ 1973, Syria & Egypt vs. Israel, U.S. sent

weapons to Israel thus leading to oil embargo by OPEC on oil sold to Israel’s supporters. Hurt economy & U.S. car manufacturing jobs as Americans purchased more smaller fuel efficient Japanese cars.

Nixon Continued

Gerald Ford 1974

Gives Nixon a full pardon; “corrupt bargain?”

‣ continues détente with Helsinki Accords- 1975, recognized Soviet boundaries and helped to ease tensions between USSR & European countries; recognized human rights

‣ WIN- Whip Inflation Now, tried to curb inflation by urging voluntary measures on the part of businesses and consumers; vetoed 66 pieces of legislation

Ford Continued

Jimmy Carter in 1976 ‣ Promised never to

lie to American people ‣ Peace Accords at

Camp David- Carter mediated dispute b/t Egypt and Israel.

‣ SALT II- limits on long range missiles, bombers, and nuclear warheads, but withdrew after Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. (boycotted Olympics in Moscow 1980)

‣ détente suspended ‣ Panama Canal-

Carter pledged to return to Panama by 2000.

‣ Human Rights Diplomacy

‣ Iranian Hostage Crisis- 53 for 1 year (released under Reagan)

‣ Oil Crisis ‣ stagflation & “Double-digit Inflation”

Ronald Reagan Wins 1980 ‣ Republican Conservative ‣ Wins with 489

electoral votes against Carter’s 49 BUT only 50.8% of the popular vote!

‣ REAGANOMICS- widening gap b/t rich and poor; cut taxes for businesses.

‣ supply-side economics (trickle-down)- tax cuts would lead to increased jobs and prosperity

‣ Environment- to ease auto industry, regulations on emissions and auto safety were reduced; opened federal land for increased coal and timber production and offshore waters for oil drilling.

‣ nominated Sandra Day O’Conner

Reagan Domestic -Continued

‣ called USSR an “evil empire” ‣ response to Cold War- expand U.S. military ‣ Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI or Star

Wars) was a high-technology missile-defense system that called for orbiting satellites in space that could fire laser beams to vaporize intercontinental missiles

‣improved relations with new Russian leader, Gorbachev, (‘85) INF agreement (agreed to destroy intermediate range missiles, USSR pulls troops from Afghanistan.

‣”Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall!” ‣Berlin Wall falls in 1989 (Bush)

Reagan Foreign

‣ Iran-Contras: 1. believed Nicaragua was turning

communist like Cuba, CIA financed a rebel group called contras to carry out various acts of sabotage.

2. National Security advisor, Robert McFarland, idea of selling U.S. arms and missiles to Iran for its help in freeing American hostages

3. Oliver North, NSC, proposed using profits from gun sells to fund contras

4. illegal diversion of funds- violated congressional budget authority (congress had banned U.S. aid to contras)

Reagan Foreign Continued

‣1st president since Eisenhower to complete 2 terms (1980, 1984)

‣stopped the growth of New Deal/Great Society programs

‣military build-up ‣continued détente ‣Russia attempts glasnost, openness to

end political repression and move toward political freedom

‣1984- ran against Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro

Reagan- Extra

‣Persian Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm)- with Iraq over invasion of Kuwait

‣ “No new taxes!” ‣nominated

Clarence Thomas to replace Thurgood Marshall

1988- George H. W. Bush

‣ 1st Baby Boomer president

‣troops to Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia…(NATO & UN)

‣NAFTA-free trade zone with Canada and Mexico

‣nuclear threat from N. Korea thwarted when coalition of nations convinced NK to abandon effort to develop nuclear weapons and allow on-site inspection of nuclear power plants.

1992 & 1996 Bill Clinton

‣10 year ban on assault weapons (1994-2004)

‣Brady Bill- gun control law (5 day wait) ‣shrunk federal deficit ‣ impeached ‣ WTC, 1993 ‣ wanted to lift the ban on gays in military,

but was met with much opposition, so…“don’t ask, don’t tell”

Clinton Continued

‣September 11, 2001

‣ “axis of evil”- Iraq, Iran, & North Korea

‣ Congress ok’s resolution to allow pres. to decide to use force against Iraq for not allowing UN to complete inspections per post Gulf War agreements

2000, 2004 George W. Bush

Website clip

2008, 2012 Barack Obama 1st African American

president

Universal healthcare

Osama bin Laden killed

1. Homework: answer test on scantron in pencil and turn in for grade on Thursday, May 9.◦ A. write page number where answer is found◦ B. Notebooks- use them as a review book. I

will not be collecting them.

INFORMATION