Topic 3 - Crisis In Political Leadership

Question 1

What was the watergate scandal?

Answer 1

CREEP hopes to gain advantage in 1972 election by getting hold of Democratic Party secrets held in there watergate offices

Question 2

What happened to the burglars?

Answer 2

Caught and arrested in the offices on June 17th 1972

Question 3

How did Nixon respond?

Answer 3

Publicly said he didn’t care but secretly tried to cover it up

Question 4

How did Nixon try to cover up the scandal?

Answer 4

Tried to get CIA to stop FBI investigating. They refused so he tried to offer burglars money to keep them quiet

Question 5

What happened to Nixon’s approval ratings after scandal?

Answer 5

Down to 17%

Question 6

What happened to VP Spiro after the scandal?

Answer 6

Resigned due to tax evasion and bribe taking claims

Question 7

In June 1974 the Supreme Court ordered Nixon to release what? And what did this reveal?

Answer 7

All of his tapes were released revealing his cover up of the scandal

Question 8

What happened to Nixon as a result of the scandal?

Answer 8

House of representatives moved to impeach him. Instead he resigned on August 1974

Question 9

What two acts were passed as a result of watergate?

Answer 9

• 1973 war powers act limited presidential power to take country to war
• 1978 ethics and gov act made it easier for special prosecutor to investigate government wrongdoings

Question 10

How was the pardoning of Nixon seen as a crisis?

Answer 10

• Nation stunned and outraged
• People believed Nixon and Ford had made a deal. He resigned to give Ford power and in turn he would pardon him
• Damaged president –> congress relationship

Question 11

How did the media treat Ford?

Answer 11

Believed him as ‘fair game’ and treated him with mass disrespect. Made fun of him, displayed him falling over etc

Question 12

What was Carters main appeal?

Answer 12

He was an outsider in Washington. People believed they could trust him as he distanced himself from those in Washington

Question 13

What three events caused disapproval of Carter?

Answer 13

• Energy crisis
• Iranian hostage crisis
• issues in economy

Question 14

What was Carters approval like in 1977

Answer 14

18%

Question 15

How and when did the Iranian hostage crisis begin?

Answer 15

1978 - pro American leader of Iran was other-thrown and replaced by Islamic radicals

• the ex-Iranian leader was allowed medical treatment in USA…..
• which lead to students storming the US embassy in Tehran on the 4th of November 1979 taking staff as hostages

Question 16

How many were captured?

Answer 16

90 originally - 6 escaped and non US citizens released leaving 66 in captivity

Question 17

How did the hostage crisis effect Carter?

Answer 17

Broke him - he failed to negotiate effectively, his rescue mission in 1980 left 8 American soldiers dead and and dragged through streets of Tehran and he was left to look weak and foolish
Public blamed him for humiliating the US

Question 18

How did the hostage crisis effect the 1980 election?

Answer 18

47% of registered voters stayed at home and it ended in Reagan beating Carter

Question 19

To what extent did environmental support grow in the 1970’s?

Answer 19

1969 1% of population believed environment was the greatest problem but in 1971 25% did

Question 20

Who were CREEP?

Answer 20

Nixon’s committee to re-elect the president

Question 21

What was Carters impact on environmental legislation?

Answer 21

• First president to successfully campaign on the issue
• Passed 1980 Alaska Lands act which set aside 1/3 of the state as wilderness
• however, ambitious energy plan did not pass through congress
• Environmentalists belived he did too little, industrial workers belived he did too much

Question 22

What effect did the environment have on political issues during the 1970’s?

Answer 22

Huge growth in environmental support put pressure on gov to pass legislation on the issue