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NIXON’S FOREIGN &
DOMESTIC POLICIES
FOREIGN POLICY TRIUMPHS
• “I’ve always thought this county could
run itself domestically without a
president” – Nixon
• Top goal was to gain an honorable
peace in Vietnam
• He also made advances in
relationships with China and Soviet
Union
HENRY KISSINGER
• Chief architect of
Nixon’s Foreign
Policy
• Advisor for national
security affairs
• Secretary of State
• Promoted
philosophy of
Realpolitik
REALPOLITIK
• German term meaning “political realism”
• Based solely on consideration of power, not
ideals or moral principles
• If a country was weak, it was practical to
ignore them, even if it was Communist
• Departure from the policy of Containment
DETENTE
• Nixon and Kissinger adopt a more flexible
approach in dealing with Communism
• Détente – a policy aimed at easing cold
war tensions
• Nixon visits communist China
NIXON VISITS CHINA
• Since the communist take over of China in
1949, the US had not recognized the
Chinese Communist Government
• Nixon announces he will visit China
• He was trying to take advantage of rift
between China and the Soviet Union
CHINA CONTINUED
• Symbolic Value as well as success with the
American public
• Resulted in important agreements between
the two nations
• Neither would try to “dominate” the Pacific
• Both would cooperate and settle disputes
peacefully
• Scientific and cultural exchanges
• Eventually reunite Taiwan with mainland
NIXON TRAVELS TO MOSCOW
• 3 months after visiting Beijing, Nixon heads
to Moscow
• First US president to visit the Soviet Union
• Meets called the Strategic Arms Limitation
Talks (SALT)
• Nixon and Brezhnev sign the SALT Treaty I
SALT TREAT I
• 5 year agreement, limited number of
intercontinental ballistic misses (ICBMs) and
submarine launce missiles to 1972
• First treaty that limited nuclear proliferation
between the US and Soviet Union
FOREIGN POLICY SUCCESS LEADS TO
RE-ELECTION
• 1972 Nixon runs for re-election
• Peace “is at hand” in Vietnam and triumphs
with China and Soviet Union help lead to his
victory
• March 1973, the last combat troops leave
Vietnam
NIXON’S DOMESTIC POLICY
Main Idea
President Richard M. Nixon tried to steer
the country in a conservative direction
and away from federal control.
Why it Matters Today
American leaders of the early 1970s laid
the foundations for the broad
conservative base today.
NIXON’S LONG POLITICAL CAREER
Served in the Navy during WWII
Elected to the House of Representatives in 1946
Elected to the Senate in 1950
Served two terms as Vice President to Eisenhower
(1952-1960)
• Unsuccessfully ran for president against Kennedy in
1960.
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NEW FEDERALISM
• During the 68’ campaign, he said he was the
spokesperson for middle America or the Silent
Majority
• Transfer power and resources from the Federal
Government to State Governments
• Proposed revenue sharing with the States – Fed
Gov’t gives money to states to support social
programs
INCREASED SIZE AND ROLE OF
GOVERNMENT
• Created a number of new federal agencies and
laws
• DEA – Drug Enforcement Administration
• EPA – Environmental Protection Agency
• Clean Air Act
• Clean Water Act
• Proposed FAP – Family Assistance Plan
• Expanded Social Security and Medicare
THE STRUGGLING ECONOMY
• Between 1967-1973, the U.S. faced high
inflation and high unemployment-a situation
economists called stagflation.
• Causes of Stagflation
• High Inflation
• Competition in international trade
• Dependency on foreign oil
DEPENDENCY ON FOREIGN OIL
• OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries)
A multinational organization that sells oil to other nations
They cooperate to regulate the price and supply of oil
Raised oil prices by 70%
Placed an embargo (cut off supplies) on oil to the U.S. for
our support of Israel during Yom Kippur War
• US dependent on imports for 1/3 of their energy
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SOUTHERN STRATEGY
• Nixon narrowly won the presidency in 1968
• He set out to expand his base of support
• He targeted blue-collar workers and southern
whites, both who traditionally voted for Democrats
SCHOOL BUSING CONTROVERSY
• Many school districts in the South and the North
resisted segregation
• 1971 Federal courts ordered school districts to bus
students to achieve greater racial balance
• Nixon called for a freeze on court-ordered busing
• Won the support of many busing opponents
NEW CIVIL RIGHTS INITIATIVES
• The Philadelphia Plan – a program that required
labor unions and federal contractors to submit
goals and timetables for the hiring of minorities
• Affirmative Action
NIXON’S STRATEGY SUCCEEDS
• By 1972, Nixon had high approval ratings
• Nixon positioned himself as a moderate, with his
opponents McGovern and Wallace as extremists
• Nixon won 61% of popular vote, 97% electoral vote