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Explore the legacies of Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan as U.S. presidents from 1968 to 1988 with their domestic and foreign policies.
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US PRESIDENTS NIXON FORD CARTER REAGAN
NIXON PRESIDENCY1968-1974 • 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 • 26th Amendment - 1971
NIXON’S PRESIDENCYFOREIGN 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 Ford1974-76 • 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 CARTER1976-1980 • 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 REAGAN1980-1988 • 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 • 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”