Doubt and Uncertainty

Nixon and Ford

“Boo-yeah!” “Nah, that’s cool. I’m not really doing anything important…”

Break in at Democratic National Committee headquarters

June 7, 1972

Virgilio González, Bernard Barker, James W. McCord, Jr.,

Eugenio Martínez, and Frank Sturgis were arrested and

connected to the Committee to Re-Elect the President

(CReeP)

Investigation shows they received pay directly from the

Nixon administration

Watergate

Why did Nixon hire these men?

Payments totaling $89,000 directly from re-

election campaign fund

Several very high ranking Republican

politicians involved

Despite allegations Nixon won landslide

vote November 7, 1972

Investigation

July 1973, White House aide Alexander Butterfield testifies about Nixon’s secret taping system

Tapes were subpoenaed Nixon resisted and released transcripts

◦ 18 ½ minutes of white noise◦ Omissions on transcripts

Further implicate president and politicians ◦ Obstruction of Justice◦ Conspiracy◦ Misappropriation of funds

Tapes

“Smoking Gun” tape◦ Implicated Nixon fully of illegal activities◦ Irreparably damaged Nixon politically

“Watergate Seven”◦ Parkinson, Mardian, Stratchan, Colson, Mitchell,

Ehrlichman, Haldeman◦ Indict Nixon as coconspirator

Resigns before they remove him from office to help soften blow

August 9, 1974

Resignation

How reliable are the transcripts?

How reliable are the tapes?

What must we consider when looking at either of these?

What advantages and disadvantages are there?

Ford

Proclamation 4311 granted Nixon a full pardon September 8, 1974.

Many members of Ford’s staff resigned in protest◦ Controversial ◦ Implications

Pardon Me?

What benefits were there to this?

Whip Inflation Now (WIN) October 8, 1974 Speech◦ Believed that inflation was primary threat to

economy◦ Increase corporate and wealthy taxes by 5%

Education for All Handicapped Children Act 1975 Established programs for Special needs children But contributes to deficit

Whip It Good

Whip Inflation Now

September 1974 Ford granted conditional amnesty to Draft Dodgers◦ 2 years of voluntary non-combat service◦ Who would this offer appeal too or offend?

Democratic South Vietnam falls to Communist North 1974◦ Public perception?◦ Implications?

Vietnam

SALT I (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) Nov. 1969 – May 1972◦ Froze stockpiles of ICBM’s◦ Ford and Brezhnev (Soviet PM)◦ Opened Asia to Ford

"We live in an interdependent world and, therefore, must work together to resolve common economic problems,"

~Ford,1974 speech

Thawing the Cold War

Reagan 1981-1989About Face

“Nah, Nah poo poo heads!”

Nixon era price and wage controls had led to stagflation ◦ Rising Unemployment and inflation

The Plan ◦ Reduce government spending◦ Reduce income tax rates◦ Reduce government regulation◦ Control the money supply to reduce inflation

“Reaganomics”

Eventually reduced taxes on highest bracket from 70% to 28%

Increased debt from $997 Billion to $2.85 Trillion

Americans below the poverty level increased from 29 million in 1980 to over 30 million in 1988

The Result

Taft Hartley Act 1947◦ Made it illegal for government workers to strike

August 3, 1981 Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization officially goes on strike

Reagan had taken a hard line against Unions

When strikers refused to work◦ Reagan fired over 11,000 people

Strike

Reagan Doctrine◦ Oppose global influence of Soviet Union◦ Covert and Overt Operation ◦ Rollback rather than containment

Reagan’s Administration Came under fire for how it handled foreign policy at times. ◦ Afghanistan◦ Lebanon◦ Nicaragua ◦ Honduras◦ Angola

Igniting the Cold War

Intention is to cost indirectly fight Soviets Carter began funding the Mujahideen (One

involved with jihad) freedom fighters against Soviet Union

Heritage Foundation◦ Fund those opposing Soviet forces

Afghanistan and Rollback

Drug enforcement Bill1987 granted $1.7 billion

Redefined drug charges◦ Criticized for Racial Bias

War on Drugs

By the Numbers

Vocal about injustices against Blacks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay9BWM8lwOA

Tupac Shakur

Bush Sr. 89’-93’

“ABSOLUTE POWER!”

Spending on Healthcare and Childcare Had to increase taxes in order to deal with

Reagan’s debt ($220 Billion)◦ Alienated President from both Political Camps

Americans With Disabilities Act 1990◦ Ended Discrimination of disabled persons

Domestic Policy

North American Free Trade Agreement◦ Negotiations start 1986 but Bush made biggest

push for ratification Canada, United States and Mexico were

members Eliminated majority of Tariffs. Restricted patents, copyrights, trademarks

and removed investment restrictions

NAFTA

August 1 1990 Saddam Hussein invades oil rich neighbor Kuwait

Promised a “New World Order” January 17th 1991started bombing Iraqi

forces Coalition forces take Kuwait City and push

Iraqis out of country Stopped at the border without removing

Hussein

Persian Gulf

Manuel Noriega a former ally of the United States was accused of smuggling drugs into the United States through the Canal ◦ Still During Reagan

Country held elections and Guillermo Endara was elected May 1989

Noriega annulled results and maintained power.

Panama

US 2000 more troops Panama citizens attempt coup American killed by Noriega’s forces Bush sends 24,000 troop in response Jan.

1989 Remove Noriega from power

Response

Reagan held tough anti-Communist sentiments

Bush under advice from European leaders like Margaret Thatcher (British) met with Gorbachev (Soviet) ◦ December1989 in Malta

Opened dialogue for treaties and agreements

Breaking the Ice