8.14 Flashcards
1
Q
Age during the 1970s
A
- The fastest growing age group is those above 65, people become aware that America is aging.
2
Q
Race during the 1970s
A
- More cultural pluralism is noticed. By the 1990s, almost 25% of Americans were Hispanic, African Americans, etc. They want to take pride in their culture and fight for their rights.
3
Q
Region during the 1970s
A
- Most Americans live in the fast growing South and West. African Americans left because of less job opportunities and racism in the North.
4
Q
Politics during the 1970s
A
- There is a switch from Democrats to more conservative Republicans
5
Q
Richard Nixon’s Election Strategy
A
- a minority president in 1968, he devised a plan to form a Republican majority that he called the silent majority.
6
Q
Silent Majority
A
- voters who had become disaffected by civil rights, liberal court rulings, antiwar protests, black militants, school busing to achieve racial balance, and the excesses of the youth counterculture. Many of them are Democrats like southern Whites who disagree with the liberal drift of the Democratic Party.
7
Q
Nixon’s Election Strategy in the South
A
- To win over the South, Nixon asked federal courts in that region to delay integration plans and busing orders. He also nominated two Southern conservatives (Clement Haynsworth and G. Harold Carswell) to the Supreme Court. This is a success.
8
Q
Watergate Scandal
A
- 1972
- a group of men hired by Nixon’s reelection committee was caught breaking into the offices of the Democratic national headquarters in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. This break-in and attempted bugging were only part of a series of illegal activities and “dirty tricks” conducted by the Nixon administration and the Committee
to Re-Elect the President (CREEP). This led to other tricks Nixon was using to be exposed.
9
Q
“Plumbers”
A
- A group created to stop leaks during Nixon’s presidency as well as discredit opponents
10
Q
Ellsberg Burglars
A
- Before the scandal, “plumbers” had burglarized the office of psychiatrist Daniel Ellsberg, the person behind the leaking of the Pentagon Papers, in order to obtain information to discredit Ellsberg.
11
Q
White House “Enemies” List
A
- White House had also created an “enemies list” of prominent Americans who opposed Nixon, the Vietnam War, or both. People on this list were investigated by government agencies, such as the IRS.
12
Q
John Sirica
A
- Tough judge during the Watergate Scandal whose investigation led to information about the use of money and a promise of pardons by the White House staff to keep the burglars quiet.
13
Q
John Dean
A
- A White House lawyer who linked the president to the cover-up during testimonies.
14
Q
H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman
A
- Nixon’s top aides who resigned to protect him and were later arrested.
15
Q
Resignation of Vice President Agnew
A
- 1973
- the Justice Department discovered evidence of his political corruption, including accepting bribes as governor of Maryland and as vice president. Replacing him was Michigan Representative Gerald Ford.
16
Q
Archibald Cox
A
- The special prosecutor assigned to the Watergate Case. He was fired by Nixon which garnered him more criticism for interfering with the investigation.
17
Q
House of Representatives and Impeachment
A
- 1973
- the House Judiciary Committee voted three articles of impeachment: (1) obstruction of justice, (2) abuse of power, and (3) contempt of Congress.
18
Q
The Watergate Tapes
A
- a Supreme Court decision in July to force Nixon to turn over the tapes to the courts and Congress. Included on one tape made just days after the Watergate burglary was an 181⁄2-minute gap.
19
Q
Nixon Resigns
A
- 1974
- Gerald Ford becomes president
20
Q
Significance of Watergate Scandal
A
- Some say it shows how the checks and balances system worked while others claimed it underlined the dangerous shift of power to the presidency that began with Franklin Roosevelt and had been expanded during the Cold War.
21
Q
Gerald Ford
A
- (1974–1977)
- Replaced Nixon as president after Nixon resigned
22
Q
Pardoning of Nixon
A
- Ford granted Nixon a full and unconditional pardon for any crime that he might have committed. Accused for making a “corrupt bargain” with Nixon. Ford claimed it was just to end the issue quickly.
23
Q
Investigating CIA
A
- Democratic Congress searched for abuses in the executive branch, especially in the CIA who was accused of engineering the assassinations of foreign leaders, (Marxist president of Chile, Salvador Allende). Ford appointed former Texas Congressman George H. W. Bush to reform the agency.
24
Q
Bicentennial Celebration
A
- (1976)
- US celebrated its 200th birthday. Americans’ pride in their history helped to put Watergate and Vietnam behind them.
25
Q
The Election of 1976
A
- Carter barely won
- Ford - Watergate hurt Republican Party
- Ronald Reagan - supported by conservative Republicans.
- James Earl (Jimmy) Carter - Democrat not included in Watergate. Won votes in South and African Americans.
26
Q
Jimmy Carter’s Presidency
A
- Informal nature made it seem like an attempt to end the imperial presidency. Impressed average Americans. Congress saw him as incapable. (Bad pres)
- The Iranian hostage crisis and worsening economic crisis hurt Carter in the opinion polls.
- “National Malaise” speech - Carter blamed the problems of the United States on a “moral and spiritual crisis” of the American people.
27
Q
Warren E. Burger
A
- Chief Justice after Warren resigned. Under Nixon.
28
Q
Burger Court s a violation of a woman’s right to privacy.
A
- More conservative than the Warren Court, but several of its major decisions angered conservatives.
- 1971 - Ordered busing to achieve racial balance in the schools
- 1972 - Issued strict guidelines that made carrying out the death penalty more difficult.
29
Q
United States v. Nixon
A
- (1974)
- Denied Nixon’s claims to executive privilege and ordered him to turn over the Watergate tapes.
30
Q
Roe v. Wade
A
- (1973)
- struck down many state laws prohibiting abortions a
31
Q
Televangelists
A
- Conservative religious leaders preaching on television Had millions of viewers.
- Pat Robertson, Oral Roberts, and Jim Baker.
32
Q
Moral Majority
A
- Founded by Jerry Falwell. Financed campaigns to unseat liberal members of Congress.
33
Q
Religious fundamentalists
A
- attacked “secular humanism” as a godless creed taking over public education and campaigned for the return of prayers and the teaching of the Biblical account of creation in public schools.
34
Q
Right-to-life movement
A
- Followed Roe v. Wade decision. United many Catholics and fundamentalist Protestants who believed that human life begins at the moment of conception.
35
Q
Business Intrest
A
- 1970s
- Business interests launched a successful campaign to mobilize and influence federal and state governments to curtail regulations, lower taxes, and weaken labor unions.
36
Q
“Think Tanks”
A
- Promote free-market ideas. (American Enterprise Institute, the Heritage Foundation, and the Cato Institute)
37
Q
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
A
- lobbied for pro-business legislation.
38
Q
Affirmative Action
A
- Passed by Johnson. Ensured that underprivileged minorities and women would have equal access to education, jobs, and promotions.
39
Q
“Reverse Discrimination”
A
- Whites blamed affirmative action for the years of recession and stagflation in the 1970s.
40
Q
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
A
- (1978)
- case challenging the admissions policies of one medical school. Ruled that while race could be considered, the school had created racial quotas, which were unconstitutional. Conservative used this to campaign to end all preferences based on race and ethnicity.
41
Q
Proposition 13
A
- (1978)
- A measure that sharply cut property taxes. Passed after California voters led a revolt against increasing taxes.
42
Q
Arthur Laffer
A
- Economist that had a belief that tax cuts would increase government revenues. Conservatives used this.
