The Nixon Presidency – The Decline of Liberalism
Domestic Policy

I Topics

A Domestic Policy

B Foreign Policy - Textbook

C Watergate

II Presidential Campaign - 1968

A Two Issues

B Objective: Expand Constituency

III Campaign

A Three Candidates

B The “Wallace” Factor

C Election:

D Congress: Controlled by Democratic Party

IV The Decline of Liberalism?

A Assumptions and Approach of Nixon and his administration:

B Causes

C Republican Agenda and Issues

V Economic Problems

A Stagflation: inflation and unemployment; rise in interest rates

B Response: Wage and Price Controls

C Causes

D Energy Crisis – winter 1973 – 74

VI Programs of Welfare State

A Scale back, not end, government programs of the welfare state

B Means: shift responsibilities to state and local governments

C Actions: Nixon, Congress and Supreme Court

VII Nixon Administration:

A Endorsed Family Assistance Plan

B Affirmative Action

VIII Issues for NOW

A Signed Title IX – guaranteed equality in all aspects of education

B Vetoed child care bill

C Publically opposed abortion

D Private opinion about women

IX “Law and Order”

A Problems: political protests, rising criminal rates, increased drug use, permissive attitudes about sex

B Actions:

X Mixed Record – Seventies as a Contradiction

A Congress and the Supreme Court

B Friedan’s two “gut issues” in the Bill of Rights for Women (1968)

1 Congress: Equal Rights Amendment – 1972.

2 Supreme Court: Roe vs. Wade (1973)

XI Civil Rights and Congress

A Extended Voting Rights Act by five years

B 1972: strengthened the Civil Right Act of 1964 –

C Expanded powers of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

XII Civil Rights and Supreme Court:

A School Desegregation in the South

B School Desegregation in the North

1 Defacto

2 Busing