3 Crisis of Political leadership

Question 1

What did Congress want to do, why?

Answer 1

• limit presidential power
• increased US involvement in international affairs especially during the cold war meant unease in congress.

Question 2

WATERGATE

1972, who organised what into where? why?

Answer 2

Nixon’s committee to re elect the president (CREEP) so organised 2 illegal break-ins into the Democratic National Committee to install surveillance devices.

Question 3

WATERGATE

what did Nixon do as a result?

Answer 3

attempt to cover it up
- nixon discussed using the CIA to stop the FBI investigating CREEPS financing of the break-in.
- when the CIA refused to cooperate, the President tried to pay the burglars to shush.

Question 4

WATERGATE

when were the burglars convicted?

Answer 4

January 1973

Question 5

WATERGATE

what happened to Nixons approval ratings? and the VP?

Answer 5

• when the senate began investigation, his ratings sank to 17%
• VP Agnew forced to resign over tax evasion and accepting bribes

Question 6

WATERGATE - tapes

what were the tapes? what happened to them?

Answer 6

• nixon had tape recorded conversations in the white house like previous presidents
• July 1974 Supreme Court rules the release of all tapes.

Question 7

WATERGATE - tapes

what happened as a result of the tapes?

Answer 7

• the house moved to impeach him on charges of obstruction of justice, and abuse of power. >:(

Question 8

WATERGATE - tapes

What did Nixon do next?

Answer 8

• to avoid charges of impeachment, he resigned in August 1974
• 25 of Nixons aides/associates were jailed
• Ford pardoned Nixon

Question 9

SIGNIFICANCE OF WATERGATE

impact?

Answer 9

1. the republican party moved to be more right wing, Nixon’s moderate republicanism was disgraced
2. power of the presidency, congress limited it because of concern

Question 10

SIGNIFICANCE OF WATERGATE

what did congress do to limit presidential power?

Answer 10

• War Powers Act 1973: designed to limit presidential power to take the nation to war
• Ethics in Government Act 1978: made it easier for a special prosecutor to investigate alleged presidential wrongdoings.

watergate made sure presidents Gerald Ford (1974-1977) and Jimmy Carter (1977-1981 distanced themselves from Nixon with a new style of leadership

Question 11

Ford, Carter, and a new style of leadership

What was different about Ford/Carter’s style?

Answer 11

• nixon had been very ceremonial
• Ford and Carter tried to play down this vibe xxx
• Ford was well respected, and was seen as a ‘regular guy’ when he picked up his own newspaper off his front porch and waved to the press.. Americans related to his family
• Carter also did this, he and his family walked down Pennsylvania Avenue when he was sworn in, highly informal. Carter also sold the presidential yacht and wore casual clothes

Question 12

Ford, Carter, and a new style of leadership

what happened to Fords popularity during his presidency..

Answer 12

• Ford pardoned Nixon, ensuring there were no further proceedings for his involvement in Watergate.
• Plummeted Fords popularity

Question 13

Ford v. Congress and the media

ford v congress

Answer 13

• volunteered to be the first president since Lincoln to testify before congress about the pardon
• but it still irreparably damaged relations

Question 14

Ford v. Congress and the media

ford v. media

Answer 14

• fords informality and the fact that he had not been elected combined to make the media decide that Ford could be disrespected.
• Ford was shown falling over on ski slopes and stumbling down a plane ramp (one network showed the latter 11 times in one newscast)
• New Yorker showed him as Bozo the Clown
• Ford was also frequently indecisive, which didnt help

Question 15

Ford v. Carter 1976

election results + impact

Answer 15

ford defeated by Carter
Carter’s emphasis upon being an outsider who had never been part of the corrupt Washington contributed to his voctory
- poll also revealed 76% of people believed Ford lacked ‘presidential quality’ and 80% said the same for Carter

Question 16

leadership of Carter

main criticisms?

Answer 16

• micromanagement
• inability to establish a good relationship with congress
• joint presidency with his wife
• inability to cope with crises

Question 17

carter

inability to cope with crises eg.s

Answer 17

• News of Carter’s micromanagement leaked out in 1979 with the story of how in his first 6 months as president he reviewed all requests to use the White House tennis courts
• House Speaker said Carter ‘didn’t seem to understand’ the need to master the legislative process
• media named wife ‘mrs president’
• December 1977 polls revealed only 18% of Americans had a ‘lot’ of confidence in Carter
• By 1980 he had the lowest ever approval rating of any president

Question 18

Impact of the Iranian hostage crisis

background context + events

Answer 18

• after America’s exit from Vietnam, there was a growing fear the USA was losing its international primacy
• 1978: Islamic fundamentalists led a successful revolution against the repressive, pro-American shah of Iran
• 1979: Iranian militants stormed the US embassy in Tehran and took 60 Americans hostage against Carter allowing the Shah to recieve cancer treatment in the USA

Question 19

Impact of the Iranian hostage crisis

What did Carter do? How did it fail?

Answer 19

• carter sent helicopters on an unsuccessful rescue mission in 1980
• 1 helicopter broke down upon entering Iranian airspace
• another got lose in a sandstorm
• third developed hydraulic problems
• one of the helicopters crashed into a US transport aircraft, both burst into flames, 8 american airmen died and 4 were badly burned

Question 20

Impact of the Iranian hostage crisis

release of hostages

Answer 20

• only after the US had a new president

Question 21

1980 polls

leader + voting

Answer 21

• 18% of Americans rated him a ‘very strong leader’
• 47% of registered voters stayed at home, many were poor/unemployed and were dillusioned with Carter’s leadership

Question 22

Impact of the Iranian hostage crisis

impact on the G.E.

Answer 22

• Cater had an apparent inability to sovle the nation’s economic problems
• contributed to Reagan’s popularity

Question 23

Growing political dillusionment

polls

Answer 23

• % of Americans who felt the government ‘do what is right most of the time’ 1969 - 56%, 1979 - 29%
• % of Americans believing governemnt officials were ‘smart people who know what they are doing’ 1969 - 69%, 1979 - 29%

Question 24

Growing political dillusionment

factors of political dilusionment

Answer 24

• vietnam war damaged faith in Johnson with ‘credibility gap’
• Watergate and the pardon exacerbated this
• Media coverage of Fords falls demonstrated growing disrespect
• turnout in elections was 54% in 1976, 53% in 1980 confirming alienation of a significant proportion of the electorate, some of whom were turning to single issue politics, such as environmentalism

Question 25

# Environmentalism's political impact why did awareness of environmentalism increase?

Answer 25

- Love Canal near Niagra Falls was so full of industrial waste it caused disproportionate numbers of miscarriages and birth defects in the local population, which had to be relocated in **1978**

Question 26

# Environmentalism's political impact how did Americans show their increasing awanress of environmentalism

Answer 26

- membership of environmental organisations grew: middle-class liberals joined old organisations such as the **Sierra Club** or new ones such as the **National Resource Defense Council** - Edward Abbey's novel *The Monkey Wrench Gang **1975*** was impactful - membership of environmental organisations grew from **1960 - 125,000 to 1m in 1970, and 2m in 1980**

Question 27

# Environmentalism's political impact political implications of environmentalism

Answer 27

- environmentalist lobby gained such strength many politicans were encouraged to pass environmental legislation - industry/economic growth provided employment but could damage the environment

Question 27

# environmentalist legislation nixon and the EPA

Answer 27

- Environmental Protection Agency established in **1970** - asked american car manufacturers to cut down on exhaust emissions. Manfactueres introduced catalytic converters and unleaded gasoline in **1975** cutting car pollution by **75%** - **1976**: Toxic Substances Control Act

Question 28

# environmentalist legislation Carters environmentalism achievements

Answer 28

- obtained legislation to prevent chemicals from polluting the environment - expanded National Park and wilderness land - **1980 Alaska Lands Act** set aside 1/3 of the state as wilderness - Clean air and Clean Water Acts - seeking alternative sources of energy

Question 29

# environmentalist legislation Carter's environmentalism drawbacks

Answer 29

- Carter's ambitious energy programme didn't get through congress because Americans hated paying more for petrol - his impressive achievements were insufficient for environemntalists and upset the traditionally Democratic labour unions - workers in industries that generated a lot of pollution believed environmentalists threatened their jobs

Question 30

# a political minefield what did environmentalism cause?

Answer 30

- **intra party conflict**: democrats contained middle-class liberals who favoured environmental legislation and blue collar workers who didn't - **Inter party conflict**: republicans less concerned - **conservative backlash** Reagan's **1980** presidential election campaign claimed the air pollution in LA was 'substantially controlled' (lie) - **unanimity in states** whose dependence upon manufacturing made them feel threatened by environmentalism (michigan - detroits car industry opposed legislation) - **tension between gov and several states**