Nixons New Conservatism Nixon was determined to turn the US into a more conservative direction with a sense of order The US was intensely divided over Nam Nixon felt LBJs Great Society programs gave the federal government too much responsibility ID: 313815
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Slide1
Watergate: Nixon’s DownfallSlide2
Nixon’s New Conservatism
Nixon was determined to turn the US into a more conservative direction with a sense of order
The US was intensely divided over Nam
Nixon felt LBJ’s Great Society programs gave the federal government too much responsibility
Nixon’s plan was
New Federalism
which was to distribute a portion of federal power to state and local government
Under the
Revenue Sharing Plan
state and local gov. could spend Fed. $ how they saw fitSlide3
Welfare Reform -_FAP
Nixon wanted to overhaul welfare which he felt had grown inefficient
In 1969 Nixon introduced the
Family Assistance Plan (FAP)
which a family of four would receive a basic family income of $1,500 to $4,000, job training would be given and any job would have to be accepted by the participant
It passed the House, but was attacked by both parties in the Senate and the bill was defeatedSlide4
Two Sides to New Federalism
The Nixon administration increased Social Security, Medicare, Medicare and made food stamps more accessible
Yet Nixon tried to eliminate the Job Corps, and in 1970 he denied funding for (HUD)
By 1973 Nixon had
impounded
more than $15 billion in funds for housing, health, and education (Courts overturned the impounding)
Nixon abolished the Office of Economic OpportunitySlide5
Law and Order Politics
Nixon pledged to end the war in Vietnam
He pledged to mend American divisions
He played to the “
silent majority
”
Nixon used the FBI and CIA to investigate American dissidents and political enemies
The
IRS was used to audit anti-war and civil rights activists tax returns
Nixon had a “
enemies list
” of who to harass
VP Agnew
attacked liberals, the media, and anti-war protestors ( Pit-bull)Slide6Slide7
Causes of Stagflation
Between 1967-1973 the US faced
high unemployment and high inflation
(
Stagflation
)
High Inflation
was caused by LBJ funding the war and the Great Society through deficit spending
Increased International Competition
in trade
Floods of
new workers
(Domestic Baby Boomers and Foreign)
Heavy dependence of foreign oilSlide8
Nixon Battles Stagflation
To reverse deficit spending Nixon raised taxes and cut the budget
(Congress opposed)
Nixon tried to reduce the amount of $ in circulation by pushing for higher interest rates
Nixon took the US off the gold standard
In 1971 Nixon froze wages, rents, fees and prices for 90 days it helped in the short term but the recession continuedSlide9
OPEC and War
During the 1960’s the
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
raised the price of oil
The Six Days War in 1967 impacted prices
The 1973 Yom Kippur War between Israel, Egypt and Syria causes increased prices
The US sent massive military aid to Israel, Arab OPEC nations cut oil sales to the US (
Oil Embargo
)
By 1974 price increased 4x, the market price for oil rose substantially, from $3 a barrel to $12
Major gas lines and shortages in the US early, mid 1970’sSlide10Slide11Slide12
Nixon and the Environment
Nixon supported the creation of the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Nixon improved the Clean Air Act of 1963
Nixon supported the Water Quality Improvement Act of 1970
In 1973 the Endangered Species Act was passed
Membership in the
Sierra Club
took off due to new concerns over the environment
On April 2nd, 1970 the first
Earth Day
was heldSlide13Slide14Slide15
The Pentagon Papers
Congress
was angry with the extension of the war into Cambodia, and in Dec. 1970 they
repealed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
In June 1971,Former Defense Dept. worker Daniel Ellsberg released the
Pentagon Papers
to the press
The papers stated that the government had drawn up plans for entering the war as early as 1964
, and they showed their was never any plan to end the war even if it was unsuccessful.Slide16
Dirty Tricks
“
Dirty Tricks
” were used by the administration to withhold information from the public, discredit critics, and gain illegal campaign contributions for the 1972 election
The “
plumbers
” were established to stop leaks of information
Former CIA agent
E. Howard Hunt and FBI agent G. Gordon Liddy headed the re-election team
“The Enemies List”
First target was Daniel Ellsberg who released the Pentagon PapersSlide17
Hunt and Liddy
Slide18
The Imperial Presidency
Nixon expanded the power of the Presidency with little thought of Constitutional Checks
Impoundment of funds for fed. programs
Invading Cambodia without the approval of Congress
Nixon felt the office of the Presidency was above the lawSlide19
The President’s Men
Fierce loyal advisors
H.R. Haldeman
–Chief of staff
John Ehrlichman
– Chief Domestic Advisor
John N Mitchell
– Attorney General
John W. Dean III
– White House CouncilSlide20
The Drive Towards Re-election
Nixon feared losing elections
Committee to Re-elect the President
was formed (CREEP) with Mitchell as its leader
CREEP hired a security team to bug the DNC headquarters at the
Watergate
Office Complex in DC
On June 17, 1972 five men were caught by a security guard Frank Wills
The group’s leader
James McCord was former CIA and Security Coordinator for CREEPSlide21Slide22
The Cover-Up
Nixon was concerned about the break-in
Documents were shredded in Haldeman’s office
The White House asked the CIA to urge the FBI to stop investigating the break-in
CREEP passed out $450,000 to the burglars to buy their silence
The burglary was of little interest to the public and the press
Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein kept on the story
( Received info. from Mark Felt) FBISlide23Slide24
The 1972 Election
Nixon
ran a successful negative campaign against
Senator George McGovern (D)
They let the press know that McGovern’s VP candidate Senator Thomas Eagleton had undergone shock therapy for depression
Voter turnout was an all time low
With promises of peace in Vietnam Nixon won in a landslideSlide25Slide26
The Cover-Up Unravels
In Jan. 1973
McCord sent a letter to Judge John Sirica
(Presiding Judge)
He lied under oath, and hinted others were involved
On April 30
th
,
Nixon fired John Dean and announced the resignations of Haldeman, Ehrlichman, and Attorney General Richard Kleindiest
Nixon went on TV to promote his new Attorney General Elliot Richardson and he suggested a “Special Prosecutor” be appointed to investigate WatergateSlide27
The Senate Investigates
Senator James Ervin began calling Administration officials to give testimony
Dean admitted the President had been deeply involved in the cover-up
(White House denial)
Presidential Aid Alex Butterfield revealed the tapes of Oval Office Conversations
A year long battle for the tapes began
Slide28
The Saturday Night Massacre
Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox took Nixon to Court in 1973
Nixon ordered Attorney General Richardson to fire Cox
Richardson refused the order and resigned
(Saturday Night Massacre)
Solicitor General Robert Bork fired Cox
New Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski wanted the tapes as well
A few days earlier
VP Agnew resigned
for accepting bribes while Gov. of MD
New
VP Gerald Ford
was appointedSlide29
The Fall of Nixon
In March 1974 a Grand Jury indicted seven presidential aids on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury
Nixon released 1,254 pages of edited transcripts
In July 1974 The Supreme Court ordered Nixon to give up the unedited tapes “
I am not a crook!”
In Aug. Nixon released the tapes with an 18.5 min. gap (Rose Mary Woods accidentally erased the most crucial part)Slide30
Impeachment or Resignation
The House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment:
obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress
On August 8
th
, 1974 Nixon announced his resignation
Nixon admitted no guilt, some judgments “were wrong”
Gerald Ford
was sworn in as President
Ford gave Nixon a full Presidential pardon
25 administration members served prison termsSlide31Slide32