Chapter 30
1960s Mood: Personal Preoccupations and New Activists energies Vietnam shatters liberals
New left fragments Watergate shatters republicans Hippies replaced with yuppies
TV Viewing increases
Prime-time soaps: Dallas TV Sitcoms: Brady Bunch
Disneyworld 1982 Movies
“Jaws” “Star Wars”
MLB, NFL, NBA Music
Saturday Night Fever Consumer electronics
VCRs CDs Computers
Protest mood survives Bruce Springsteen (working
class) Bob Dylan (celebrated outlaws)
Environmental movement Built of Rachel Carson 1960s Greenpeace Targets Nuc-industry
Women’s Rights Lasting effects of 1960s
NOW= 50,000 Gloria Steinem, Ms. magazine
National Women’s Political Caucus 1971 Promoted feminist agenda
Roe v. Wade Splintered movement
Radical v. conservative Struggle to define movement
Changes Increase of working women
Still in mainly “female” jobs Social effects
Delaying marriage for education
Changing Patterns 1969- Police raid Stonewall Inn,
NYC – sparks movement Loosening Taboos
Increased co-habitation “Coming out” increase 1970s homosexuality no longer a
mental illness Federal ban dropped on employment
STDs AIDS 1981 New “safe sex” attitude
Conservative Backlash Roe v. Wade
“right to life” groups Homosexuals
Jerry Farwell, Anita Bryant Milk assassination 1978 Donna Sumner 1980
Religious Questioning “Born-Again” Christians
Right to life- Catholic movement Rise of Evangelicals
Jerry Fewell, Anita Bryant, Pat Robertson
Decline of the Family Farm Historic “backbone” Growth of agribusiness Cultural importance
Willie Nelson’s “Farm Aid” 1985 Two worlds of Black America
1st world Significant upward mobility
Thanks to civil rights movement “Cosby Show”, College
2nd world ½ never finished high school Jobless rate 60%, unskilled Cocaine, drugs, violence
LA Bloods v. Crips 400 killings 1987
Drug Abuse Act 1970 Affected society on ALL levels
but biggest impact on inner cities
Women Unmarried 60% of black births Welfare cycle of
dependence Affirmative Action
Buildings, education Bakke V. U.S. 1978 Overthrew Affirmative
Action in California with Medical School
Affected by conservative backlash
Native Americans Shaped by 1960s Brighter prospects
AIM occupied Alcatraz Island, Trading Post at Wounded Knee
Indian Self-determination Act of 1974 Fed programs for reservations Gave natives control over
internal programs, education, and law enforcement
Business Ventures successful Culture
“Little Big Horn” 1970 “Dances with Wolves” 1990
Improvement on stereotypes of the 1950s
Immigration Western Hemisphere
45% Asia 30%
Thanks to Eisenhower suspending National Origin Act of 1924
Immigration Act of 1965 ended ethnic quotas
Gerald Ford 1974-1976 August 9, 1974
Former congressman, VP Conveyed likeable decency “the caretaker” President
Problems Pardoned Nixon
Lost public’s good will Lots of conservative vetoes
on environment, social welfare Overrode by a democratic
congress Had CIA investigated for
engineering foreign assassinations Headed by George H.W. Bush
Economic 1973 oil – OPEC
Oil embargo Soaring costs “Whip Inflation Now” Fed raised interest rates Curbing energy use
National Morale S. Vietnam fell April 1975
Evacuations of US embassy Marked low point of American
prestige overseas Cambodia 1975
US- supported government fell to Khmer Rouge Genocide killed over 1 million Ford ordered attack Saved 39, 41 U.S. servicemen
died
Election of 1976 Carter vs. Reagan
Actor, ex. Governor of Cali
1977-1980 The “outsider”
Peanut farmer from GA Won because of lack of connection to D.C.
Democratic Nominee Both liberal and conservative Best at focusing on specific
problems No clear political philosophy Domestic Policy
Congress ignored Carter’s attempts at Civil Service reform, national health care or welfare reform
Stopped recession with tax cut Unemployment drops to 5%
Sensed nation’s lack of sympathy for government programs
Environment Alaska Lands Act
Major victory for environmental movement
100 million acres for parks, etc. Niagara Falls 1978
Love Canal Disaster
Foreign Attention to human rights Latin America
Treaty to transfer Panama canal back to Panama in 2000
Camp David Accords 1978 Peace settlement b/w Egypt and
Israel Cold War
Continued Détente SALT Treaty II
Delayed, Soviets invade Afghanistan
Troubles and Frustrations 2nd oil crisis 1979
OPEC boosted prices $1 a gallon Inflation prices increased FED raised interest rates
“stagflation” Drew attention to
Conservation Created Dept. of Energy 1977
Called for higher oil and gas taxes, tax credit for conservation, research
Watered down version passed 1978
Approval Ratings Down to 26% summer of 1979 Isolated himself
Blamed Americans on TV!!!!! Legacy
Identified key issues Lacked political skills to
accomplish anything Known more today for
international conflict and humanitarian work
Won Nobel Peace Prize in 2002
1979 Iranian Revolution American-backed
government overthrown by the Ayatollah Khomeini
U.S. admits former Shah of Iran into U.S. for cancer treatment
Protests/riots in Iran U.S. Embassy seized
50 hostages Lasted 444 days
Botched rescue attempt Sec. of State resigns Failure for Carter
Rise of Conservatism Started with Goldwater in 1964 Loose coalition of political
conservatives, religious fundamentals and political action committees (PAC)
Background Appeal
Movie/ T.V. star , handsome Master of Media
Are you better off now than 4 years ago” Used “misery index”
Solution to “Stagflation” a tax cut Tributes to private enterprise Called for military strength, patriotism Embraced “New Right”
Clear cut traditional and moral values “moral majority”
Election Issue
Taxpayer’s revolt, moral revival, reverse discrimination
Reagan 51%, Carter 41% Reagan won 91% of electoral votes
Pop increase in Conservative states Republicans gained control of senate Only black voters democratic
Day of Inauguration Iranian hostages released Assassination attempt made him
more popular
Reaganomics Economic program
Belief in US capitalism No heavy taxes and government
regulation Believed tax cuts would fuel
spending 1st budget cut proposed 50%
1981 5% 1982, 1983 20% Government programs cut
Food stamps, student loans, mass transportation
Compared to FDR’s 1st 100 days Not b/c of programs but how
quickly government shifted gears Drastic cutbacks in business
regulation Restrictions eased
To help auto industry regulations on emissions and auto safety reduced
Banking, transportation, and communication
Fed increased interest rates Added with drop in oil prices = a
decrease in inflation
Recession High interest rates 1982 unemployment 10%
Worst since 1930s As “reaganomics” took hold,
economy improved Inner-cities suffered Falling exports, dollar rose US trade deficit tripled
Because of tax cuts and less returns Individual heartland hurt
Slumping exports Foreign competition
Problems 1982 Democrats gain 57 seats
Boom Times Stock-market upturn
Like 1920s, wall street “celebrities” Corruption, market crash 1987
Great Bull Market 1983 rebound
Downside Economic gap persisted, widened
Confronting the “Evil Empire” Military build-up
Defense budget 1981- $171 billion 1985- $300 billion
Tensions Korean plane shot down by
Russians Sept. 1983 Killed 269 people
Anti-communist administrations El Salvador
Backed Salvadoran military junta against Castro Sent $5 million to government
Nicaragua Carter gave money to Sandinista
revolution 1979 Reagan reversed policy 1982 financed Contras
Opposed by Congress Obsession with Latin America
Grenada 1983 coup installed left
government 2,000 marines sent in 1983 Set up pro-US government
Success
Goals Slow the spread of Islamic
fundamentalism US support of Saddam Hussein
against Iran Iraq/ Iran War
U.S. supported Iraq Israel
Deep US bond, emotional Unable to achieve peace
because of conflicting pressures Israel invaded Lebanon to stop PLO
in 1982 Lebanon
PLO Problems
Extremists shots Israeli Ambassador
Israel invades Lebanon Reagan sends peacekeepers 1982
Suicide bombing of barracks 1983 Killed 239 Marines
Withdraws troops 1984 Reagan ineffective in Middle East
Reagan’s Critics Runaway military spending
“Star Wars” project Strategic Defense Initiative
Cold war belligerence Massive budget deficits
Cuts in social programs Assault of government
regulatory spending Supporters
Attacked big government Tough on USSR Solid achievements
Booming economy Ended inflation
Personal popularity Nominated Sandra Day
O’Connor 1981 Fulfilled 1980 promises
Democrat challenge Hopefuls
Gary Hart, Jesse Jackson Jackson first African- American
to make a strong run, “rainbow coalition”
Nominee Walter Mondale
Former Vice President Won backing from labor unions,
party bigwigs, various interest groups
VP NY congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro (1st female VP nominee)
Election Results Reagan/Bush 59% Democrats
Retain Congress Try to reorganize
Clinton, Gore, Lieberman Formed Democratic Leadership
Conference More centrist party position Wanted to reverse image as
“big government” and “tax-and-spend” party
Budget Deficits and Trade Legislative
achievements Immigration reform and
control act of 1986 Tax-reform law
Eliminated deductions Established uniform rates Removed 6 million low-
income from tax rolls Reshaped Supreme Court
conservative Sky-high federal deficit
Tax cuts + increase in military spending = DEBT
Debt tripled during Reagan years
Increased trade gap Tax cuts increased
consumption, especially of foreign goods!!
Iran-Contra Affair Worst scandal
Arose from efforts to control events in L.A. 1986 Beirut Newspaper
reported that US gave Iran missiles in 1985 Claimed it was to
encourage moderates and gain release of hostages
Lt. Col. Oliver North Took money for
Nicaraguan Contras Destroyed evidence
Aid forbidden by Congress Reagan denied knowledge
1987 Senate Investigations on T.V.
Other scandals Bribery, government
influence
Warming of US-Soviet Relations 1985
New Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev
Revived arms-control talks Glasnost-openness to end
political repression Perestroika- restructuring of
Soviet Economy Meetings in Switzerland 1985,
Iceland 1986 Revived stalled arms-control
policies 1987 signed Intermediate-
range Nuclear Forces Treaty Removed 2500 missiles from
Europe Also pulled troops from Afghanistan
1988 Eliminated class of weapons
Moscow 1988 Historic visit
Made some Reagan supporters upset
Marked beginning of the End
Tensions in the Middle East Situation dire
1987 Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank rise up
Sec. of State George Shultz Tried to start talks = failed Plan for Palestinian autonomy
PLO rejects and wanted full statehood
Israel built more settlements Violence
Rise of terrorists Freedom Fighters
1985 bombing of Vienna and Rome
TWA flight held hostage, ships hijacked
Reagan blames Libya Muammar Quadaffi
U.S. bombs Libya Pan Am Flight 103
259 killed Libyans charged
Restored stability and continuity in US politics Domestically
Inflation tamed Economy up after 1983 Deficit soared Ignored social issues Challenger Explosion 1986 Sally Ride- 1st woman astronaut
Internationally Restored national pride Aggressive anti-communist policy Shadow of world terrorism
Supporters Wanted a third term!
Critics Deficit soared Ignored social issues,
environmental concerns, and long-term economic issues