Chapter 26The Triumph of Conservatism, 1969–1988

Nixon and Vietnam• Military dissent and desertion• Vietnamization• Withdrawal of U.S. troops

• 1970 – Invasion of Cambodia• Attempt to disrupt supplies on Ho Chi Minh trail• Khmer Rouge brought to power massacred millions• Kent State University protest

• Ohio National Guard kills 4 protestors

Nixon and Vietnam• My Lai Massacre• U.S. killing of 350 civilians

• Pentagon Papers• New York Times – Daniel Ellsberg• Showed how public was mislead by presidents• Nixon attempted to suppress publication

• War Power Acts (1973)• Required congressional approval for troop

commitment overseas (limited presidential power)• Paris Peace Agreement• Removal of US troops and end of bombing• N. Vietnam victorious in 1975

Cost of the War• 580,000 Americans killed• 3-4 million Vietnamese killed• $100 billion spent• Distrust in policies and government leaders

Watergate• Early Distrust• Reelected in 1972• Created an “enemies list” of critics• Created unit to investigate and discredit Ellsberg

• Watergate• 5 former employees of re-election committee caught

breaking into Dem. Party headquarters and arrested• Washington Post – Nixon ordered Watergate cover-

up• Bob Woodward - reporter

• Supreme Court demanded tapes of conversations

Nixon’s Fall• 1973 – Spiro Agnew (VP) resigns after caught

taking bribes• 1974 – House Judiciary Committee votes to

impeach Nixon for conspiracy to obstruct justice• Nixon only president to resign• Senate hearing show other abuse:• Spying on Civil right’s groups• Coups and assassination attempts• Secret Armies

The Rising Tide of Conservatism• Fear of Civil Rights and Sexual Revolutions• Rising urban crime – need for law and order• Local not federal control• Mostly suburban• Based heavily on religion, morality and family

values

The Rising Tide of Conservatism• Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)• Congress approved in 1972; • Discredit role of women as homemaker• Failed to be ratified

• Roe v. Wade debates• Conception vs. Right to choose• No federal funding

Gerald Ford• Helsinki Accords – agreement between Europe/US and

Communist bloc • SALT I – Anti-ballistic missiles treaty• Pardoned Nixon• Beat Reagan for Rep. Nomination but lost election to Jimmy

Carter

Jimmy Carter• Department of Energy and Department of Education• SALTII • Failure to ratify after Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

• Iran Hostage Crisis (1979-1981)• 1979 Energy Crisis• 3 Mile Island Nuclear Accident (Pennsylvania)• Boycott of Moscow Summer Olympics in 1980• Eruption of Mount St. Helens

The Rising Tide of Conservatism• The Tax Revolt• Result of deindustrialization and wage decrease• Enhance profits• Prevention of Social programs (schools libraries, and

public services)• The Election of 1980• Reagan

• States’ rights• Anti welfare• Anti busing and affirmative action• Religious right

Election of 1980

Reagan• Originally Democrat and head of Screen Actor’s

Guild• Switched in favor of unregulated capitalism• 1966 – Governor of CA• 1976– lost Rep. nomination to Ford• Brought together old and new conservatives

Reaganomics• Economics• Tax cuts for wealthy (away from graduated)• Hands off in industry• “trickle-down economics”• Recession to profit

• Less inflation• Stock market gains

• Labor• 1981 - PATCO (air traffic controllers’ union) strike;

Reagan fired workers and used military• Decline in manufacturing reduced union strength

Give Me Liberty!: An American history, 3rd EditionCopyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company

The Reagan Revolution• Conservatives against Reagan• Kept alive welfare state• Nothing done on abortion or affirmative action• Sandra Day O’Connor

• 1st female Supreme Court Justice• Reagan and the Cold War• Soviet Union – “Evil Empire”• $ into defense• Strategic Defense Initiative• Sent $ and weapons to anti-communist regimes

Iran Contra Affair• 1984 Congress bans military aid to

Contras• 1985 Reagan sells arms to Iran in

exchange for hostage release• Colonel Oliver North (CIA) uses $

from sales to buy supplies for Contras• Exposed in 1986; Reagan denied

knowledge

Reagan and Gorbachev• Gorbachev in power 1985• Better relations• Glasnost (political system) and perestroika (economic system)• Reduce military spending in favor of consumerism

Election of 1988• George H. W. Bush (Rep)• Strong economy• International stability• Reagan’s popularity

• Michael Dukakis (Dem)• Negative Campaigning