Economic, Social and Political Change, 1973-80 Topic 3 Flashcards
By the time of the Watergate scandal, how had the power of the president grown?
Nixon had 528 seats which meant he could pass acts through congress easily.
What effect had the increased use of executive orders on the power of Congress?
Nixon controlled the world’s greatest nuclear weapons arsenal and military forces. Could pass orders such as these through executive orders - reduced congressional power
How and why was the power of the president limited in 1973?
Nixon’s use of military forces in South East Asia meant presidential power needed to be reduced, a series of acts were put in place.
What successive acts and developments occurred to further limit presidential power?
War Powers Act 1973 - limited the power a president had to use miliary force abroad
1978 Ethics in Government Act - Senior gov officials had to disclose finances
What act got put in place as a result to watergate?
1975 Privacy Act - presidents had to report to congress on undercover activities as result of watergate
What was unusal about how Ford came to power?
Nixon’s vice president resigned so Ford had never been elected.
How did Ford approach presidency?
Ford wanted to re establish confidence in the US president and took a less imperial and more open approach
How did Ford attempt to end talk of the scandal?
He pardonned Nixon
How did Carter approach presidency?
Carter wanteed to break tradition and walked home after his inaugauration in 1976
‘Ordinary Guy’
What were the main problems Ford had to deal with?
Had barely won nomination for the presidency in his own party in 1976 - disillusionment
Faced media scruitiny, LBJ said Ford had played too many games without a helmet
How did watergate impact future politics?
Nixon had been fairly left wing and his scandal discredited his policies which caused more right wing republicans to dominate thereafter
What were the main economic problems Carter faced?
> 1973: result of Yom Kippur War - global oil prices X4 - USA badly hit as world’s largest oil consumer
Stagflation - created more disillusionment, inflation - 5% in 1977
Card industry damaged due to oil
What impact did the oil crisis have?
> 58% of US petrol stations closed
>Car imports rose by 33%, US industry damaged
Ford and Carter’s economic solutions?
> WIN - WHIP INFLATION NOW = cut fed. spending to curb inflation (ford)
Carter cut taxes and used public works programmes - 1977 Public Works Act - increased inflation
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) means tested food stamps
Economic issues during Ford and Carter?
> Oil crisis in 1973 and 1979
Recession 1974-5, unemployment rose to 11%
1980 - 21m people on welfare
