Download chapter 32 - White Plains Public Schools

CHAPTER 32
THE CRISIS OF AUTHORITY
Chapter Summary
Opposition to the war in Vietnam became the centerpiece of a wide-ranging political and cultural challenge
to traditional American society. During this turbulent era, African Americans, women, Hispanics, and
Native Americans organized to assert their rights. Richard Nixon inherited the war in Vietnam, and he
brought it to an end. The cost of Nixon’s four years of war was thousands of American lives and many
more thousands of Asian lives, plus continued social unrest at home and an enduring strain on the
economy. The end of American involvement did not mean that the goal of an independent, noncommunist
South Vietnam had been secured. Nixon was more successful in his other foreign policy initiatives,
opening meaningful contacts with China and somewhat easing tensions with the Soviet Union. He
managed to stake out a solid constituency of conservative voters with his attacks on liberal programs and
ideas. He never quite decided how to deal with a troubled economy that faced the unusual dual problem of
slowed growth and rapidly rising prices. Less than two years after his overwhelming reelection in 1972,
Nixon resigned from office under fire from a nation horrified by his arrogant misuse of presidential power
for personal political purposes in the Watergate affair. Meanwhile, with the Vietnam War behind them,
Americans began to look to other issues, particularly the environment, and raise more questions about the
quality of life on our planet.
Objectives
A thorough study of Chapter 32 should enable the student to understand
1.
The reasons for the rise of the New Left and the counterculture.
2.
The problems of Native Americans and Hispanics and the nature of their protest movements.
3.
The meaning of the New Feminism.
4.
The Nixon-Kissinger policy for terminating the Vietnam War, and the subsequent Paris peace
settlement.
5.
The changes in American foreign policy necessitated by the new perception of the world as
multipolar.
6.
The reasons for the decline of the American economy in the early 1970s, and President
Nixon’s reaction to the decline.
7.
The ways in which the Supreme Court in the Nixon years began to change to a more
conservative posture, and the reasons for this change.
8.
The significance of Watergate as an indication of the abuse of executive power.
137
9.
The significance of the environmental movement, how environmentalists sought political
solutions to their demands, and how the American political system responded.
Main Themes
1.
How Richard Nixon gradually reduced the American ground forces in Vietnam, but increased
the air war as he and Henry Kissinger sought peace with honor, which turned out to be nothing
more than a way for the United States to leave the war with a decent interval before North
Vietnam’s victory.
2.
That Nixon and Kissinger believed that stability in a “multipolar” world could be achieved
only by having the United States forge a bold new relationship with China and, at the same
time, seek a detente with the Soviet Union through grain sales and arms reductions.
3.
That Nixon’s efforts to build a policy of less federal dominance of the states and more respect
for traditional values reaped more political gain than practical result.
4.
How movements by youth, ethnic minorities, and women challenged social norms.
5.
That Nixon’s inconsistent economic policies failed to solve “stagflation,” which was as much
international as domestic in origin.
6.
How Nixon’s fear of opposition and assumption that his own fortunes were identical to those
of the nation led to his downfall through the scandals collectively known as Watergate.
7.
How the environment became an issue in American life.
Points for Discussion
1.
Chronicle the several cultural movements that arose in the 1960s and early 1970s to challenge
traditional white, male-dominated society. How did more conservative forces respond? How
extensive and lasting were the changes?
2.
Why did the 1960s produce “liberation” movements among minority groups, as well as a
counterculture in the United States? Discuss the philosophy, achievements, and limitations of
these movements.
3.
What was accomplished during the four years that the Nixon administration carried on the war
in Vietnam? Could the peace have been achieved in a better manner at less human cost?
4.
Compare and contrast the decisions of the Warren Court with those of the Nixon Court.
138
5.
What were the several assumptions reflected in Nixon and Kissinger’s rapprochement with the
Soviet Union and China? Were the assumptions valid and the actions wise?
6.
Discuss the response of the Nixon administration to political developments in Latin America
and the Middle East.
7.
Describe the New Federalism of Richard Nixon and compare it with the domestic policies of
his Democratic predecessors in the 1960s.
8.
Explain the factors that contributed to the overwhelming reelection of Richard Nixon in 1972.
Why did his supporters resort to “dirty tricks” when a favorable outcome seemed assured?
9.
Explain the basic reasons for the decline of the American economy in the early 1970s.
Evaluate the efforts made by the Nixon administration to reverse the trend.
10.
Was Watergate truly unprecedented, or was it merely a case of a president getting caught
performing politics as usual? What was the lasting damage of the crisis? Did any good come
from it? (See document in the Study Guide.)
11.
What were the sources of America's newly discovered "environmental consciousness," and
how did these sources produce a political movement?
12.
How might one account for the rampant corruption of the Nixon administration? What was the
"crime" committed by Nixon? Why did he resign? (See document in the Study Guide.)
13.
How have historians assessed the causes and consequences of Watergate? How did Nixon
explain his actions?
14.
How did rock music express the desires of young people in the 1960s? How did Woodstock
and Altamont symbolize two aspects of the counterculture of that era?
Interpretive Questions Based on Maps and Text
1.
What commitments have the United States made to Native Americans and how are these
commitments reflected in the distribution of tribal lands?
2.
Note the evolution of the Indian "reservations." What impact did reservation life have on
Native Americans, and how was this connected to the protests of the 1960s and 1970s.
3.
Describe the Yom Kippur War of 1973. What lessons did it hold for American foreign policy
in the Middle East in particular and for other parts of the world in general?
4.
How realistic was the claim of Taiwan (Formosa) to be the legitimate government of all
China? Why did the United States support the Taiwanese claim for so long?
139
5.
How did the United States normalize relations with China? What part did Chinese tension
with the Soviet Union play in our China policy? What happened to Taiwan?
Internet Resources
For Internet quizzes, resources, references to additional books and films, and more, consult the
text’s Online Learning Center at www.mhhe.com/brinkley12.
140