Week 15. Conservative Reaction

Nixon and Middle America
Nixon was elected in 1968 as a representative of conservative "Middle America"
he aimed to dismantle the New Deal welfare state and the Civil Rights legislation
he did not succeed, but the Supreme Court became more conservative
Bakke v. Board of Regents of California (1978) restricted the use of quotas to achieve racial diversity
Democratic Congress pushed for more liberal legislation:
increase in Social Security funding because of inflation
Clean Air Act (1970) over Nixon's veto
the Environmental Protection Agency created (air pollution, fuel efficiency standards)

Watergate
before 1972 election (which Nixon won) burglars were caught breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Watergate apartment complex
2-year investigation revealed Nixon Administration ordered the break-in, ordered intelligence agencies to spy on his opponents, open their mail, and burglar their homes
25 Administration officials were imprisoned (4 cabinet members)
Judge John Sirica presided over a televised investigation involving special federal prosecutors
Nixon obstructed the investigation
former legal counsel to the president John Dean testified that Nixon approved the cover-up
White House aide testified that White House tapes of the Watergate conversations existed
Nixon fired prosecutor Archibald Cox but his replacements still demanded the tapes
the House Judiciary Committee calls for Nixon's impeachment for obstruction of justice and withholding evidence
June 24, 1974 Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the president must surrender the tapes
before the House of Representatives could vote on impeachment Nixon handed over the tapes and resigned
consequences: distrust of presidential power (Gerald Ford issued Nixon's pardon after taking office)
Congress curbed executive power (required president to inform Congress within 48 hours if troops were deployed, prompt responses to requests for federal documents)

Stagflation
from 1945 till 1968, the U.S. was at the forefront of world economy
stagflation -- recession and inflation at the same time
in 1967, inflation began to rise from an annual 3 percent (12 percent by 1973)
unemployment rose from 3.3 to 6 percent between 1968 and 1970 (more new workers than jobs)
three causes:
1. Johnson's social welfare and Vietman spending without a tax increase cause federal deficits
2. U.S. goods faced competition West Germany, Japan, and other countries
3. U.S. economy was too dependent on cheap sources of energy
1973 - OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) nations raised oil prices and refused to sell U.S. because it supported Israel
Nixon Administration raised interest rates and put restriction on wages and prices but instead caused recession

Reaganomics
Ronald Reagan (1980-1988) believed that free-market capitalism would revive economy
abandoned oil price-controls
increased defense spending
cut personal income tax by 25 percent (1981)
reduced social spending (educational and social programs)
cuts in welfare programs plus slow economy--percentage of persons living under the poverty level rose from 11.7 in 1979 to 15.3 in 1983
budget deficit and personal debt rose--Americans saved less than 4 percent of their income

1980s
Roger and Me (1989) by Michael Moore
the closing of a GM plant in Flint, Michigan and its economic and social effects

"1984", Apple TV Advertisement
based on George Orwell's novel 1984

Scratch (2002)
hip-hop DJs in the late 1970s and early 1980s