Nixon Domestic Flashcards
1968 Election results
Nixon 31mil (43.4%) Humphrey 30mil (42.7%)
Turnout under 60% so Nixon had support of fewer than 27% voters
DNC
Chicago 1968. Clearly shows democrat decisions, no cohesive party. Humphrey (LBJ VP) won nomination without winning primary’s.
DNC protests
Showed immense disorder. 12,000 police to 10,000 protesters.
All filmed, students shown doing drugs, throwing wine, having sex
Middle America
55% population, Nixon dubbed silent majority. Average taxpayers opposed to radicalism, change and disorder
Reasons for Nixon winning 1968 election
Promoted restoration of law and order (often gave stats in speeches), mastered TV and stayed away from probing journos, Nixon’s daughter and Ikes grandson engaged
Busing
Supreme Court supported it in 1971+3 rulings. Nixon opposed ‘wrenching’ children from families. Congress rejected request for constitutional amendment against it
Shirley Chisholm
first black female member of Congress, elected 1968
Conservative Welfare Actions
Shrank Office of Econ Opp, closed 59 Job Corps and cut federal funding for housing and youth programs (inc. Urban development program)
Family Assistance Plan receive only $1,600 a year, work requirements, no. bureaucrats administering system declined !!rejected by congress!!
Vetoed Child Dev Act 1971 would’ve provided free childcare to enable poor mothers to work
Limitation on Nixon’s abilities
never had a republican congress
Liberal Welfare Actions
Introduced Supplemental Security Income; guaranteed income for elderly and disabled
substantial increases in social security, Medicare, Medicaid
Created Occupational Safety and Health Administration 1970
Environmental Protection Agency
Nixon welfare comparison to Johnson
Spent more than Johnson and continued many of his great society measures.
Nixon grew up in poverty- sympathetic
Women’s rights
Roe v Wade 1973. Nixon created Presidential Task Force on Women’s Rights
Instructed Justice Department to bring sex discrimination under CRA
Feminists like Gloria Steinman stressed how little the Nixon Administration did and sought the First Lady’s help. This shocked Nixon into action
War on drugs
disproportionately affected black people, particularly in inner city ghettos
bombing/attempted bombing stats
1969 602
1970 1577
36% campus disorder, 19% black extremists, 14% white extremists
Autumn 1970 Boston Uni evacuated 80 times due to bomb threats
largest anti- war protest
Oct and Nov 1969 Tens of thousands marched on the White House and every major city
Nixon law and order action
District of Columbia Crime Control Act 1970 facilitated search procedures and made bail harder to obtain
Chicago 8
8 protest leaders from 1968 put on trial for travelling across state lines to cause anti-war riots during DNC.
Bobby Seale only black defendant, tied down and clubbed. Called a mistrial
Celebrity protest
John Lennon and Yoko Ono ‘bed-in’ for peace 1969 released ‘give peace a chance’. Muhammad Ali refused the draft, Jane Fonda visited Vietcong 1972, Bob Dylan Joan Baez Jimi Hendrix opposed war
Kent State
Had rioted and firebombed a building but peaceful protest held 4th May 1970, National Guard panicked. They opened fire and killed 4 students, injured 11. 2 girls just walking to class
Kent State reaction
Nixon ‘these bums… blowing up the campus’ Father of victim hit headlines ‘my child was not a bum’ Over half Americans blamed the students
Nixon successfully decreased protests by
timing troop withdrawals to stall protests
Adjusted draft Aug 1972, students over 20 no longer called
Removed draft 1973
Threatened to end federal scholarships and loans for convicted students
Ordered surveillance of disruptive groups
Took protesters to court
1972 election
Democrat candidate incredibly left wing. 60.7% popular vote, won every state except Massachusetts
Supreme Court noms
1969 Conservative Warren Burger. 2 racially conservative noms rejected by Senate
Inflation
4.7%, tried to cut federal spending but had record annual budget deficit
