The Nixon Presidency

 

Domestic Affairs:

 

     Supreme Court Appointments:

           Nixon named four justices in his first

                term

           All were conservative, strict

                constructionists that preferred

                judicial restraint  as opposed to

                Warren’s judicial activism

           William Burger (Chief); Harry

                Blackmun, Lewis Powell, William

                Rehnquist

 

     Revenue-Sharing:

           allowed states more leeway in using

           federal funding

 

     Energy Crisis: overdependence on

           foreign oil evident in Arab Embargo

           1973

 

    

 

           Nixon suggested:

                building new electric plants that

                     used coal and nuclear energy

                tap fossil fuel supplies more

                     aggressively (Alaskan pipeline)

                pursue new energy sources

 

     Inflation:

           cut federal spending (to decrease

                demand)

           raised interest rates (to decrease

                borrowing)

           temporary wage and price controls

           all were unsuccessful

 

     Pollution:

           created the Environmental Protection

           Agency to enforce laws:

                Clean Air Act 1970

                Clean Water Act 1972

 

     Spiro T. Agnew:

           charged with tax evasion and

           kickbacks while Maryland’s governor

           resigned vice-Presidency in 1973

          Gerald Ford was nominated as new

                vice-President

 

Foreign Affairs:

    

     Vietnam:

           Henry Kissinger secretly negotiated

                peace in 1973

           Vietnamization and final withdrawal of

                U.S. troops

 

     War Powers Act:

           passed by Congress to limit Nixon’s

                bombing of Cambodia

           required President to get approval of

                Congress for extended combat

                by U.S. troops abroad (over 60

                days)

           if no Congressional approval

                President must terminate action

           in less than 60 days, Congress can   

                recall troops by concurrent

                resolution

 

    

     Nixon Doctrine: U.S. will scale back

           involvement in Asian affairs

          

           military and economic assistance will

           be provided

 

           Asian nations must provide troops for

           themselves   

 

     Support of Israel in 1973 (October) War

    

     Visit to the USSR to promote Detente

           several accords were signed

           regarding joint efforts in:

                space, health

                the environment
                trade, nuclear arms

 

     SALT pact to reduce the numbers of

           missiles between superpowers

 

     Visit to China: agreed to disagree on

           Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan

           agreed to peaceful co-existence and

                increased contact