Presidents Ford & Carter

1. Presidents Ford & Carter Ch. 25, Sec. 4, 5

2. Nixon resigned, Gerald Ford sworn in. • First unelected President-named to VP, ascended to Presidency. • “Our long national nightmare is over,” • Popular, friendly, mild-mannered. • Shortly after taking office, Ford pardoned Nixon for “all offenses”. • Decision was hated; Nixon’s cronies faced jail, he walked; many felt a deal was made. • Caused Republican losses in Congress in 1974 elections.

4. Early 70s, economy stalled. • High inflation plus high unemployment, called stagflation. • Worst recession since Great Depression. • Ford started program called “WIN-Whip Inflation Now”-save, conserve fuel, plant gardens. • Program quickly died. • Ford increased unemployment spending while cutting taxes in hope of stimulating economy. • Helped, but not much.

6. Ford kept Kissinger, continued Nixon’s détente policies. • Became first President to visit Japan, visited China & strengthened relationships. • 1973-Congress passed War Powers Act due to LBJ & Nixon in Vietnam. • Congress must be notified when Pres. sends troops to combat. • Troops may be kept overseas for 60 days without congressional approval. • When N. Vietnam attacked S. Vietnam in 1975, Ford wanted to send troops, Congress refused.

9. July 4, 1976-US celebrated 200th birthday-bicentennial. • Huge nationwide celebration.

11. 1976 election-Republican Gerald Ford vs. Democrat Jimmy Carter. • Carter was former Georgia Governor, no national political experience, won. • Carter was multi-generation southerner, deeply Baptist, ended many formalities at White House. • Appointed more women, minorities to staff than any previous President. • Seen as “Washington outsider”. • No experience working with Congress.

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13. Economy was unstable when Carter took office. • Tried deficit spending, led to more inflation. • Tried cutting gov’t spending (social programs), angered democrats, didn’t help. • Over term in office, US lost confidence in Carter on economics. • More success with deregulation. • Reduction or removal of gov’t controls of industries. • Deregulated oil, natural gas, railroad, trucking, airline industries. • Helped stimulate economic growth in 1980s.

14. Carter wanted to make US less dependent on OPEC oil. • Created Dept. of Energy, urged people to conserve. • Congress passed National Energy Act. • Tax sales of gas-guzzler cars. • Convert utilities to fuels other than oil/natural gas. • Deregulate domestic oil/natural gas. • Tax credits to homeowners for energy efficient improvements. • Research alternative fuels. • Nuclear power would have been great. • Partial meltdown at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania scared many from nuclear power.

17. Carter hoped to heal wounds of Vietnam. • Passed amnesty (general pardon) for draft dodgers. • Very unpopular in much of US. • Supreme Court heard important case regarding affirmative action policies. • Regents of University of CA v. Bakke. • Alan Bakke, white vet applicant to med school. • Not accepted, black applicant accepted instead. • Bakke sued, claiming reverse discrimination. • Court sided with Bakke, said that race can be used as a factor in admission, but can’t set race quotas.

19. Carter had mixed success in foreign policy. • Negotiated Camp David Accords between Israel & Egypt. • Israel would withdraw from Sinai Peninsula; Egypt would recognize Israel officially. • Led to peace between Egypt & Israel. • Carter continued détente with USSR, negotiated SALT II treaty. • Limited nuclear missiles and warheads. • 1979-USSR invaded Afghanistan, ending détente. • US cut of grain shipments to USSR; boycotted 1980 Olympics. • 60 nations ended up boycotting Olympics.

24. 1979-Muslim fundamentalists overthrew Shah Reza Pahlavi of Iran. • US ally, modernized Iran; fundamentalists wanted return to traditional Iran, ruled by sharia law. • Shah fled Iran, replaced by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. • Anti-western, anti-US. • US let Shah in for medical treatment. • Angered, Muslims attacked, seized US embassy in Iran, took 52 hostages. • Held them 444 days. • Known as Iran Hostage Crisis.

29. Carter tried negotiations, made no progress. • Americans angry that Carter couldn’t get hostages released. • April 1980-Operation Eagle Claw. • Commando raid into Iran to rescue hostages. • Failed, 8 soldiers killed, no hostages rescued.

30. 1980-Carter ran for reelection against Republican Ronald Reagan. • Reagan won in a landslide; people were tired of Iran Hostage Crisis, Carter’s depressing messages to American people. • Iran Hostages released 1 day after Reagan sworn in as President.