Module 11
The 1970s White House and the Liberal Doubt
- Richard F. Nixon, Republican (served 1969-1974, *resigned)
- pledged to roll back the Great Society (which had caused spiraling debt and inflation due to costs and expenses of Vietnam) but consumed with Vietnam and foreign diplomacy issues
- ended with moderate extension of G.S. programs but sought to restrain federal spending for social services and deal with congressional efforts to protect the environment. Very concerned with the inflation rate and the economy and used variety of fiscal methods (wage and price controls, lowered government spending, encouraged the Fed to raise interest rates, etc.) to ease the recession, little success with slowing inflation
- Called Democrats subversives on traditional values in 1972 election but later caught for the Watergate scandal–using illegal wiretaps and investigations on key individuals on elections committees (Democrats). Later becomes first President to resign in US history.
- Nixon’s view: tough stand on law and order, affirmed traditional morality (rejected much of liberal radicalism), and rejected radical activism
- Gerald Ford, Republican (served 1974-1976, as Nixon’s second VP who had been appointed after Spiro Agnew resigned, he became president when Nixon left office)
- very conservative, rejected most liberal plans–opposed aid to education, poverty programs, and mass transit as he believed these were issues best left to the states and were causing massive federal deficits. To counter high prices and the stagnant economy, he cut federal spending and the Fed raised the discount rate which resulted in a massive recession.
- When he entered office, Ford brought calm back to the White House and restored a sense of honor and respectability to the presidency. However, he lost much of the nation’s trust when he later pardoned Nixon and vetoed many social welfare bills which Congress overruled
and still passed. Betty Ford was popular but did not make up for Ford’s seemingly ineffectual presence and lack of clear leadership.
- Jimmy Carter, Democrat (served 1977-1980)
- attempted to recapture liberal agenda but national politics had already moved far back toward conservativism. Like Ford, Carter lacked clear direction and was ineffective at dealing with Congressional politics as an outsider. He had been governor of Georgia but many felt he was out of touch with the needs of the federal government and the national agenda.
- Under his watch, inflation and interest rates soared, which further eroded American confidence in Carter and the US government to help them out of the recession. The presidential image was severely damaged by this point and the American people felt their highest official had become nothing more than a figurehead, powerless or indifferent at best.
- The liberal agenda had largely failed by the end of 1970s and the American people had serious doubts about the efficacy of reform policy. Carter, who had been unable to secure any major legislation in support of this view, did little to challenge the return of conservativism. The concurrent rise of religious conservatives and a movement to the political center became a call for change, at once regressive and progressive in nature but looking for salvation from a decade of woes and federal stagnation.