Political Progress since 1964 - presidents Flashcards
When was President Nixon president?
1969-1974
Was President Nixon republican or democrat?
republican
What was President Nixon’s views on AA civil rights?
-privately racist-> didn’t want to meet black leaders
-opposed MLK holiday/day
What did President Nixon do to do with congress?
-tried to revise the Voting Rights Act to give more power back to the states under Southern pressure
What did President Nixon do to do with the supreme court?
-nominated a southern racist to the Supreme Court
What did President Nixon do to do with AA power?
-limited influence on government in this period due to Nixon’s refusal to meet
What social progress happened under President Nixon for AAs?
-1972 Equal Employment Opportunity Act->greater powers of enforcing prosecution against discrimination ->backed by whole of the Federal Government
-increased federal expenditure on poverty programmes->1940 there was 78% of Blacks below poverty line and in 1960 there was 50% and by 1974 there was 30%
-radical integration enforced
-1972->Southern schools were better integrated than the rest of the US (68%-8% attended segregated schools)
What economic progress happened under President Nixon for AAs?
-affirmative action ‘hand ups not handouts’->avoid benefits in favour of long term economic support eg access to jobs
-the Office of Minority Business enterprise encouraged black capitalism
-limited funding for segregation HE institutions
When was President Ford president?
1974-1977
Was President Ford a republican or democrat?
republican
What was President Ford’s views on AA civil rights?
-unwilling to commit to further civil rights progress but keen to cultivate good relations->many meetings with civil rights leaders
What did President Ford do to do with congress?
-extended Voting Rights Act 1982 despite his party telling him to scrap it
What did President Ford do to do with the supreme court?
-nominated the first black Secretary of Transport (William T Coleman)
Did President Ford do anything to AA power?
no
Did President Ford do anything to do with economic progress for AAs?
no
What social progress happened under President Ford for AAs?
-opposing bussing to aid school desegregation
When was President Carter president?
1977-1981
What President Carter republican or democrat?
democrat
What was President Carter the first president since?
-first Southern president since Woodrow Wilson
Did President Carter do to do with congress?
no
What did President Carter do to do with the supreme court?
-appointed more black to the federal judiciary than any other presidents
What did President Carter do to do with AA Power?
-employed many blacks
-renewed Voting Rights Act
-appointed black women to his cabinet
What social progress happened under President Carter for AAs?
-university of California vs Bakke in 1978
Did President Carter have any economic progress for AAs?
no
When was President Reagan president?
1981-1989
Was President Reagan republican or democrat?
republican
What was President Reagan’s view on AA civil rights?
-didn’t support federal initiatives to provide blacks with civil rights
-gave a States’ Rights speech in Philadelphia, Mississippi, where 3 civil rights workers were murdered in 1964
-opposed the Martin Luther King holiday and signed it only after an overwhelming veto-proof majority for it
What did President Reagan do to do with congress?
-opposed the Civil Rights Acts 1964 and the Voting Rights Act 1965
-said Voting Rights Act was humiliating the South
What did President Reagan do to do with the supreme court?
-Grove City College vs Bell 1984: Supreme Court decision of Civil Rights laws: Supreme Court ruled that only a course receiving a student reliant on federal aid had to comply with anti-discrimination laws, not the whole institution->the passing of the Civil Rights Restoration Act
Did President Reagan do anything to do with AA power?
no
What social progress happened under President Reagan for AAs?
-opposed Fair Housing legislation in California 1988: expanded the Fair Housing Act, 1968 ->made it easier to push cases to court
What economic progress happened under President Reagan for AAs?
-1980: blacks made up to 12% of the population but 34% received housing subsidies and 35% food stamps
When was President Bush president?
1989-1993
Was President Bush republican or democratic?
republican
Did President Bush have a view on AA civil rights?
no
What did President Bush do to do with congress?
-much discussion over whether civil rights laws were properly enforced under Bush-> lawsuits dropped significantly
What did President Bush do to do with the supreme court?
-1992->Supreme Court supported attacks on school desegregation (Freedman vs Pitts)
Did President Bush do anything to do with AA Power?
no
What social progress happened under President Bush for AAs?
-rioting in LA over outcomes of Rodney King case (he was a victim of police brutality)->bystanders videotaped much of the incident->footage showed officers repeatedly striking King with their batons ->this sparked the 1992 LA Riots
Did any economic progress for AAs under President Bush happen?
no
How did the NAACP get AAs involved in politics?
-Lobbying & litigation (school desegregation suits)
-Most important black organisation in the leadership conference on Civil Rights (Black, Hispanics, women, disabled, elderly)
How did AAs get involved in politics through politicians?
-Jesse Jackson, 1971-‘ People United to Serve Humanity ’ (PUSH)
->PUSH focused on using black buying power to gain employment
->In 1984, campaigned for Democratic Presidential nomination
->3rd most popular candidate 1988 - Campaigned again->2nd most popular-> seen as the most significant individual of the 70s, 80s and 90s
-1980: 1% elected officials were black
What was the status of AAs?
-Rise in KKK activity, 1970s
-1/3 Black are in the middle class - 1/3 still lived below the poverty line and 1/3 occupied low status, low skilled jobs->Black wages were 50% of whites
-Higher proportion of blacks accused and convicted of crimes-12% of population->43% of rapes, 55% of murders, 69% of robberies.
-Black ghettos were extensive
-Widespread racism & prejudice still existed
