Unit 11 Lesson 3: The Presidencies of Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter Flashcards
When Gerald R. Ford took the oath of office on August 9, 1974, he understood that his most pressing task was to help the country move beyond the
Watergate scandal
Ford was the first vice president chosen under the terms of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment. What does that mean?
the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, which provides for the appointment of a vice president in the event the incumbent dies or resigns.
Why did Nixon have to appoint Ford?
He did so following the resignation of embattled Vice President Spiro T. Agnew over a charge of failing to report income. The income came from bribes Agnew received as the governor of Maryland.
Ford was the first president to do what 2 things
Ford was also the first vice president to take office after a sitting president’s resignation. He is the only chief executive never elected either president or vice president.
What was one of Ford’s actions as president
One of his first actions as president was to grant Richard Nixon a full pardon. Ford thus prevented Nixon’s indictment for any crimes he may have committed in office and ended criminal investigations into his actions.
How did Ford justify his action of pardoning Nixon
Ford justified his decision by claiming that a long, drawn-out trial would only have further divided the public.
How did the public react to Ford pardoning Nixon
The public, however, reacted with suspicion and outrage. Many were convinced that the extent of Nixon’s wrongdoings would never be known and he would never be called to account for them.
How did Gerald Ford become president?
He became vice president when Nixon selected him to replace Agnew, who resigned. Ford became president when Nixon resigned due to the Watergate scandal.
Like Nixon, Ford was a Republican. Taking this into account, wasnt Ford able to do much as president?
. Democrats had a wide majority in Congress during Ford’s time in office, and the Democratic Congress often opposed his actions. President Ford’s foreign policy accomplishments were limited in part because of this opposition.
President Ford’s foreign policy accomplishments were limited in part because of this opposition. Give an example of this in Vietnam
For example, when Ford requested money to assist the South Vietnamese government in its effort to repel North Vietnamese forces before the fall of Saigon, Congress refused.
Ford was more successful in other parts of the world. Talk about his succes with the Soveit Union
He continued Nixon’s policy of détente with the Soviet Union. Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger achieved further progress in the second round of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks.
What did Strategic Arms Limitation Talks do
These talks led to limits on the number of certain types of bombers and missiles held by the United States and the Soviet Union.
In August 1975, Ford went to Finland. There, he signed the Helsinki Accords with Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev. What did this do?
This agreement essentially accepted the territorial boundaries that had been established at the end of World War II in 1945. It also required a pledge from the participating nations that they would protect human rights within their countries.
How did people react to the Helsinki Accords?
Many immigrants to the United States from Eastern Europe protested Ford’s actions. It seemed as though he had accepted the status quo. The agreement left their homelands under Soviet domination. Others considered it a belated American acceptance of the world as it really was.
As president, Ford confronted serious issues. These included
inflation, a depressed economy, and ongoing energy shortages.
Ford’s (inflation) campaign was titled
Ford’s campaign was titled “Whip Inflation Now.” It was advertised on brightly colored “WIN” buttons that volunteers wore.
During the mid-1970s, the U.S. economy entered the worst recession it had experienced since World War II. When recession became the nation’s most serious domestic problem, Ford shifted to measures aimed at stimulating the economy. Why didnt he increase government spedning?
Still fearing inflation, however, he vetoed a number of bills that would have increased the already-large budget deficit. Pumping money into the economy through government spending could have spurred more inflation.
Jimmy Carter believed that U.S. foreign policy should be founded upon what principles and values?
Jimmy Carter believed that U.S. foreign policy should be founded upon moral principles and national values.
Were Ford’s economic policies successful?
Ford’s economic policies ultimately proved unsuccessful. The recession lasted until 1975. Economic recovery afterward was slow, and inflation remained a stubborn problem.
What economic challenges did Ford face during the 1970s as president? Where his economic policies successful?
Ford faced an economic recession as well as inflation. His policies did not successful end the recession or stop inflation.
In October 1974, he labeled inflation the country’s most dangerous public enemy. What dd he do about inflation?
. He worked to reduce inflation by encouraging people to decrease consumption and increase their savings. Decreased consumption of goods could help keep prices from continuing to rise.
Why did Jimmy Carter belive that the misson in Vietnam failed?
He argued that the mission in Vietnam had failed because American actions there were contrary to moral values.
What does Carter’s first executive act as President
President Carter’s first executive act was to grant unconditional amnesty to young men who had evaded the draft during the Vietnam War.
Carter’s Foreign Policies impact
Carter improved relations with China. He ended military support to Nicaragua’s dictator. He also helped arrange for the Panama Canal to be returned to Panamanian control in 1999. He agreed to a new round of talks with the Soviet Union (SALT II).
How did Carter bring peace to Egypt and Israel. What were the Camp David Accords
He also brought Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian president Anwar Sadat to the United States to discuss peace between their countries. Their meetings at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, led to the signing of the Camp David Accords in September 1978. This in turn resulted in the drafting of a historic peace treaty between Egypt and Israel in 1979.
How did Jimmy Carter respond to Soveit invasion of Afghanistan
In January 1980, he declared that if the USSR did not withdraw its forces, the United States would boycott the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow. The Soviets did not retreat. The United States did not send a team to Moscow.
How did people respond to the boyycott
Only about half of the American public supported this decision. Despite Carter’s call for other countries to join the boycott, very few did so.
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Was the Olympic Boycott successful? Why or why not?
It was not successful because other countries did not adopt the boycott and the public did not overwhelmingly support the boycott.
How US connected to Iran
In 1953, the United States had helped put a new shah, or ruler, of Iran into power. Over the following years, the United States also supplied the shah’s government with billions of dollars in aid.
Was the shah the US supported in Iran a good leader
The shah did not prove to be a just leader. He was unpopular among his own people, the result of both his brutal policies and his desire to Westernize Iran. Nevertheless, the United States supported his government.
In February 1979, the shah was overthrown when revolution broke out. The long history of U.S. support for him and its offer of refuge greatly angered Iranian revolutionaries. What did they do next
On November 4, 1979, a group of Iranian students and activists, including Islamic fundamentalists, invaded the American embassy in Tehran. They seized 66 embassy employees. The women and African Americans were soon released, leaving 53 men as hostages.
(Iranian Hostage Crisis) Negotiations were unsuccessful. Describe failed attmept
In April 1980, a rescue attempt failed when the aircraft sent to transport the captives crashed. Another hostage was released when he developed serious medical problems.
The 52 men still held in Iran were finally freed on January 20, 1981, the day Ronald Reagan took office as president. What was the impact of Carter’s handling of the crisis
Carter’s handling of the crisis appeared even less effective as portrayed by the media. This contributed to a growing sense of malaise among Americans, a feeling that the United States’ best days were over and the country had entered a period of decline.
Carter’s handling of the crisis appeared even less effective as portrayed by the media. This contributed to a growing sense of malaise among Americans, a feeling that the United States’ best days were over and the country had entered a period of decline. What else contributed to this feeling
This belief was compounded by continuing economic problems, as well as the oil shortage and subsequent rise in prices that followed the Iranian revolution.
In 1979, Carter sought to reassure the nation and the rest of the world, especially the Soviet Union, that the United States was still able to defend its interests. What was the purpose of the Carter Doctrine
To discourage the Soviets from making additional inroads in southwestern Asia, he proposed the Carter Doctrine.
What was the carter doctrine
This doctrine stated that the United States would regard any attempt to interfere with its interests in the Middle East as an act of aggression, to be met with force if necessary.
What was Iranian hostage crisis? How did it affect President Carter?
The Iranian hostage crisis happened when Iranians seized and held hostage over 50 Americans in the American embassy in Tehran. These hostages were held over a year. Carter’s handling was perceived as ineffective and poor, which hampered his campaign to be reelected as president.
The U.S. economy continued to experience troubles into the late 1970s. Carter attempted to solve the problems, but his policies were not very effective. Elaborate
His effort at tax reform in 1977 left many loopholes and made little impact. By 1978, inflation had risen into the double digits. The unemployment rate was also relatively high at 7.5 percent.
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Why did Carter deregulate major industries
Carter’s deregulation of major industries, such as aviation and trucking, was intended to force large companies to become more competitive
Did consimer benfit for Carter’s deregulation of major industries
Consumers benefited in some ways. For example, airlines offered cheaper fares to beat their competitors. However, some companies, like Pan American World Airways, went out of business.
How did the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 impact consumers
The act made it easier for consumers to get credit and reduced discriminatory lending practices.
Community Reinvestment Act of 1977
By signing the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, he encouraged banks and other financial institutions in low-income areas to help meet the credit needs of the communities they served.
What did carter do for the elderly and poor
r. He improved housing for the elderly and the poor.
What was the creation of an ernegy program a central focus of Carter’s administarion
Because the high cost of fuel continued to hinder economic expansion, the creation of an energy program became a central focus of Carter’s administration.
How did Carter encourage Americans to insulate their houses
Carter encouraged Americans to insulate their houses by rewarding them with tax credits if they did.
Why did Carter create the Department of Energy ?
He pushed for the use of coal, nuclear power, and alternative energy sources such as solar power to replace oil and natural gas. Carter created the Department of Energy to help achieve these aims.
Ford Foreign Policy:
- Continued the policy of detente
- Second round of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
- Signed Helsinki Accords
Ford Domestic Policy:
- Created “WIN” to try to limit inflation through lowered spending and increased savings
- Pardoned Richard Nixon
- Limited by Congress
Carter Foreign Policy:
- Iranian Hostage Crisis
- Improved relations with China
- Helped return control of Panama Canal to Panama
- SALT II
- Moral justification for actions
- Human rights
Carter Domestic Policy:
- Community Reinvestment Act of 1977
- Economic troubles continued
Why did Ford pardon Nixon
he feared a trial would continue to divide the nation
