Nixon In Office (1969-1972) Flashcards
Congress
Dominated by Democrats, 58/100 seats in the Senate, and 243/435 seats in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 1971
So Nixon presented himself as a consensus politician
Race Relations- Legislation
‘Southern Strategy’ continued
Opposed extensions of Voting Rights Act, wanted to modify Housing Act (racial integration)
Condemned affirmative action as reverse discrimination
Race Relations- Bussing
Tried to reduce bussing, sought constitutional amendment to prevent it- failed
Americans opposed bussing 8 to 1
Race Relations- Supreme Court
Appointed conservatives to the Supreme Court, inc. Chief Justice Warren Burger + William Rehnquist, who opposed abortion + defended segregation
Government Spending and the Economy
Attacked ‘wasteful’ Great Society
‘New Federalism’- gave power back to states + reduced expense of fed. government
Shrunk OEO, closed 59 Job Corps centres, and cut federal housing programmes
Government Spending and the Economy- FAP
August 1969- Family Assistance Plan, aimed to cut off parents’ income support (if they refused to work) and limit welfare recipients to $1600 per annum, but rejected by Congress
Nixon and Law and Order
1967- CIA + FBI, Operation Chaos, aimed to destroy the Black Panther Party
Student radicalism continued in 1970- 2000 bombings. Uni Colorado- scholarship cuts, San Diego- anti-cap, fire to banks
Moratorium, largest ever, 13 injured, 600 arrested
Nixon Law and Order- Response
Protesters treated harshly- MA blamed students for causing problems.
Nixon suspended fed. scholarships + loans, took protesters to court
Spring 1970, 10,000 arrested in Washington DC, reduced campus protests.
Nixon and Traditional Conservative Views- Counter Culture
MA viewed counter-culture with incomprehension and fear
Woodstock in August 1969, concern about role models- Janis Joplin + Jimi Hendrix + challenge to traditional family values
Nixon openly opposed abortion
Nixon and Traditional Conservative Views- CDA
Vetoed 1971 Child Development Act, would have provided free childcare for the poor- expensive + ‘soviet-ise’ family life.
Appealed to traditional family roles, traditional Americans believed mothers shouldn’t work.
Vietnam and Foreign Policy- Pledges
Promised ‘peace with honour’ in 1968, Kissinger said ‘peace is at hand’ on the eve of 1972 election
November 1969- Televised address, Nixon asked silent majority to support the war and denounced anti-war protesters as unpatriotic, militant minority
Poll after speech- 77% supported Vietnam policy
Vietnam and Foreign Policy- My Lai Massacre
Nixon ordered William Calley’s release from military prison and a return to comfortable office quarters (house arrest)
Popular with voters who thought Calley had been unfairly scapegoated
Vietnam and Foreign Policy- Support
‘Hard Hat Riot’ in NYC on 8th May 1970
200 construction workers demonstrated in favour of the war, called for US to bomb Hanoi
Were joined by hundreds and attacked anti-war student demonstrators in Manhattan
Weaknesses of the Opposition- Wallace
George Wallace (independent candidate in 1968), out of race for Democratic nomination after assassination attempt
Was pro-segregation, anti-bussing, + anti- large fed. gov.
Nixon could capture his supporters
Weaknesses of the Opposition- McGovern
1972 Democratic candidate, George McGovern- left-wing and liberal.
Wanted to legalise marijuana + abortion, cut defence spending + give $1000 to every American.
Supported by youth- associated with protest movement
Republicans called him the ‘3As’ candidate- ‘acid, abortion, and amnesty’- played on conservative fears
