DOMESTIC EVENTS 1964 — 1980 LBJ D Tx

DOMESTIC EVENTS 1964 - 1980 LBJ (D (Tx), 1963 – 1969) Nixon (R (Ca), 1969 – 1974) Ford (R (Mi), 1974 – 1977) Carter (D (Ga), 1977 – 1981)

LBJ o 36 th President o 1963 – 1968 o Elected once n Takes over for JFK o Texas school teacher

The Great Society o LBJ’s extension of New Deal and New Frontier o Johnson declares a “WAR ON POVERTY” n End public discrimination n Eliminate barriers to voting n End poverty in America n Improve standard of living for all Americans

Office of Economic Opportunity o Agency to direct War on Poverty n Project Head Start o Education for preschoolers and poor families n Project Upward Bound o Help poor high school students go to college n Job Corps o provide vocational training for HS dropouts

LBJ’S “THE GREAT SOCIETY” o VISTA: o Office of Economic Opportunity n Head Start n Upward Bound n Job Corps

School o Elementary and Secondary Education Act n $1 billion to schools o Most to poor districts n To accept money, schools must be integrated

Health Care o Medicare n Social Security will now pay for some healthcare for those over 65 o Medicaid n Money given to states to provide funds for those not covered under Medicare

Housing o Department of Housing and Urban Development n Efforts to improve housing and economy of cities n Robert C. Weaver – first A-A to hold a cabinet post

Civil Rights Legislation o Civil Rights Act of 1964: o Public accommodations n Title VII: no discrimination based on race, religion, gender or national origin n Equal Opportunity Commission to investigate discrimination

Civil Rights Legislation (cont. ) o 24 th Amendment (1964): no poll taxes o Voting Rights Act of 1965: n Federal officials to ensure African Americans can vote n Eliminated literacy tests o Civil Rights Act of 1968 n Eliminates discrimination in housing

Effects of the “Great Society” o Growth in Federal Spending = increase in deficit spending n 1961 - $94 Billion n 1971 - $196 Billion o Drop in Poverty n 1959 – 26% n 1969 – 12%

1968: TURNING POINT!

1968: A Turning Point Year o o o Jan. 1968: Tet Offensive: March : Johnson’s announcement: April-June: assassinations: MLK & RFK Aug. : Democratic National Convention Nov. : Election Results Civil Rights: Little Progress

1968 Election o Hubert Humphrey runs for Dems. n You. Tube - 1968 Chicago n You. Tube - 1968 DNC: Democratic nightmare in Chicago o Richard Nixon runs for Rep.

Major Trends o Country is moving to “Right” and becoming more Conservative n End to Democratic Control of Nat’l Gov’t o Why? n “Silent Majority” less vocal, but supports Nixon n S. Dems vote for Nixon and come Rep. bc of Civil Rights legislation n Opposition to mass movements: Feminism, Gay Rights, Minority rights n Dislike for Warren Court (granted rights to the accused, “liberal”) n Conservatives hate the expenses of the Great Society and War on Poverty

Warren Court Decisions 1960’s & 1970’s o Engel v. Vitale: freedom of religion o Gideon v. Wainwright: right to lawyer o Escobedo v. Illinois: right to lawyer at questioning o Miranda v. Arizona: Inform of rights o Tinker v. Des Moines: Free speech o NY Times v. US: free press o Roe v. Wade: Right to privacy

Nixon (R) o 37 th Pres o 1968 – 1974 o Congressmen / Senator from Cali o Lost to JFK in 1960 o Eased Cold War Tensions o Resigned

Changing Foreign Policy o Nixon Doctrine n US will no longer provide direct military protection in Asia

1970’s- Cold Warms Up: Detente o Nixon Doctrine: other nations must provide for their own defense: “no more Vietnams” o China Visit: diplomatic contacts lead to Nixon’s visit 1972 o New policy of Détente: easing of cold war tensions o SALT I: Strategic Arms Limitations Talks: limits to strategic nuclear weapons

Detente o Goal is to ease tension with the Soviets n Designed to prevent open conflict o Visits Soviet Union in May 1972 n Strategic Arms Limitations Talks (SALT) o Limits the amount of missiles each side would keep

Nixon’s Domestic Policies o Push for environmental protection: n Clean Air Act (1970) n Est. Environmental Protection Agency o “New Federalism” n Reduce activities and regulation of Federal Gov’t n More power to states to decide how to spend gov’t $$ n Inflation – wage and price freezes (1 st time done during peace)

Watergate Scandal o June 17, 1972 o Watergate is a hotel n Democratic Party headquarters o Illegal break in and wiretap of phones n Want information to help Nixon get reelected o Several Nixon advisers are aware

Nixon’s Downfall: Watergate o Illegal break-in (wiretaps) 1972 o Cover-up: n n n Burglars linked to White House Senate Watergate Committee: VP Agnew forced to resign Discovery of the tapes US v. Nixon: Nixon’s Resignation

The End o House begins to vote on articles of impeachment o Nixon resigns – August 9, 1974 n Only president to resign n You. Tube President Richard Nixon - Address Announcing Resignation

Significance of Watergate o Cynical view of government o The system (checks & balances) worked: n Congress investigated n SC ruled on the tapes n House of Representatives started impeachment process n Pres. & VP replaced (25 th Amendment)

Gerald Ford o 38 th President o 1974 – 1976 o Only President to never be elected

President Jimmy Carter (1977 – 1981) - Democrat

Domestic Problems o Inflation o Oil Crisis – In 1973 and 1979, Middle Eastern countries placed an embargo on US. n rationed gasoline and price controls n speed limit reduced to 55 n led the govt to think about alternate energy sources

Foreign Policy o Camp David Accords (1978) n met with Egyptian and Israeli leaders to promote peace in the Middle East. o Egypt would recognize Israel as a country o Israel would begin to remove troops from Sinai Peninsula o Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan (1980) n US boycotted the 1980 summer Olympics in Moscow n no more detente o Iranian Hostage Crisis (1979 – 1981) n Rebels overthrow the pro-American shah in Iran. n took 50 American hostages that worked in the US Embassy in Iran. o held captive for over a year and were released when Reagan was inaugurated.

Anwar Sadat (Egypt) Jimmy Carter Menachem Begin (Israel)

SALT II

Ayatollah Khomeini

You. Tube - The Iranian Hostage Crisis