The USA by 1975

Question 1

What was the impact of Watergate?

Answer 1

• For more than 40 years power and authority of president grown
• meant Supreme Court and Congress found it difficult to limit what president did
• Watergate sparked to determination to enforce limits on what president could do
• left the position of presidency much weaker by 1975
• many Americans disillusioned with system + no confidence in gov

Question 2

Describe the economy by 1975?

Answer 2

• in 1970s still most advanced economy in world
• When Ford succeeded 1974: inherited high inflation, reached 9% in 1976, high rate of unemployment of 5.4%
• known as stagflation
• also inherited energy crisis

Question 3

Describe Oil crisis

Answer 3

• 1973
• Arab oil-producing countries imposed oil embargo in retaliation to US support for Israel during Yom Kippur War
• as oil prices rocketed, New York stock exchange price plummeted
• US suffered when OPEC quadrupled price of oil in Dec 1973

Question 4

Describe the US position in World Affairs by 1975?
- general on cold war

Answer 4

• by Mid-70s USA not only one of two superpowers but assumed role as “champion of democracy” against communism
• Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
• detente - with China and Soviet Union
• Helsinki Agreement of 1975
• Vietnam war: more likely to monitor anything likely to look like “another vietnam”

Question 5

Describe the US position in World Affairs by 1975?
- general on middle east

Answer 5

• USA also increasingly involved in Middle East: esp Yom Kippur War 1973
  -provided materials and diplomatic support for Isreal
• Nixon and Kissinger able to restrain Israelis and prevent soviet intervention on side of defeated Arab states
• serious economic repercussions

Question 6

Describe the progress for AA in politics by 1975

Answer 6

• Great gains in 60’s with Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts (long way to go)
• no black mayors in 60s, 70s a black mayor elected in LA, Detroit, Cleveland + 3 other states
• N. of AA in Congress increased from 11 in 1970 to 18: end of decade

Question 7

Describe the progress for AA socially by 1975

limitations

Answer 7

• proportion of black families earning over $10,000 a year was 3% in 1960 but increased to 31% in early 1970s
• male teenage unemployment 50% and half of black teenagers dropped out of high school before graduation
• AA child twice as likely to die before age of 1 as white child; twice as likely to drop out of school

Question 8

Describe the situation for the Native American Indians

Answer 8

• By far worst off
• many lived on reservations
• unemployment 10x higher than other Americans
• average lived 20 years less than everyone else + suicide rate 100 times higher than whites
• highlighted by events as Wounded Knee, Dakota occupied by several hundred NA by March 1973
• protesters presented gov with list of grievances
• 200 FBI agents and police surrounded area; siege achieved publicity
• gov agreed to look into grievances

Question 9

Describe situation for women by 1975

Answer 9

• changed dramatically
• over 2/3 of college students rejected idea that woman’s place in home
• most women now expected to work
• more women entering traditionally masculine occupation

Question 10

Limitations of women’s movement by 1975

Answer 10

• women only received 73% of the salaries paid to professional men and still dominated low paid jobs
• 66% of adults who were classified as poor were female
• relatively few women in positions of power

Question 11

Overall judgement of US by 1975

Answer 11

• optimist of 1960s inspired by Kennedy and achievements of Civil Rights leaders e.g MLK
• cynicism of Nixon and Watergate
• USA indeed superpower but with divided society