US History Notes



US History Notes -

Chapter 30 - The Overextended Society, 1974-1980

Stagflation

- Rising prices, more unemployment and low economic growth = stagflation

- 1975 - Unemployment reached nearly 9 percent - highest since Depression

- US fell behind W. Europe and Japan, Americans felt that these trends would continue

The Oil Crisis

- Oct 1973 - Gas prices nearly doubled

- US used about 70% of all the oil in the world, by 1973 1/3 of total oil was imported

- Arab nations became increasingly hostile towards the US after the Six-Day war

- Oct 17 - OPEC launches an embargo on oil shipments to Israel’s allies - US, Japan, etc

- Many Americans blamed Arabs and accused the government of lying to raise prices

- Worst downturn since the Depression

The Bill Comes Due

- Nixon responded to the embargo by appointing an “energy czar”

- 1977 - Dept of Energy created

- Many conservation measures imposed to reduce the use of energy

- Conservation measures resulted in a 23% reduction of highway deaths

- As a result of the embargo, prices in general rose dramatically

Falling Productivity

- Oil embargo hit home so hard because US economy was not as efficient as overseas

- Unable to produce many goods at low cost

- Foreign markets offered better alternatives to US production

- American companies turned to foreign countries for cheap labour

- Many factories became highly automated

- American employers did not buy into the Japanese idea of providing rewards for quality

- Farmers could not capitalize on overseas shortages in grain - needed oil for their tools

Blue-Collar Blues

- 1970s - National Labor Relations Board began ruling in favour of managements

- Congress routinely denied labor-backed movements in Congress

- Public employees such as teachers made some gains during this period

- Although many women joined the workforce, many were in low paying clerical jobs

- Many organizations pushed for antidiscrimination and more opportunities for women

Sunbelt/Snowbelt

- 1970s - Snowbelt slumped, Sunbelt prospered and grew

- Due to a huge influx of immigrants, the Sunbelt grew in population

- Many blacks began migrating back to southern cities that used to be segregated

- Certain areas became extremely focused on producing single products

- Certain valleys produced strawberries, lima beans, or artichokes

- Silicon Valley became known for computer producing

- The Sunbelt’s ecomonic assets were very unevenly distributed

- Philadelphia lost many jobs and crime rates soared

“Lean Years” Presidents

- Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter oversaw the time when the economy was in distress

- Voters became disillusioned with the government - thought they didn’t care about them

“I’m a Ford, not a Lincoln”

- Although Ford promised that the “national nightmare” (Nixon) was over, he soon after pardoned Nixon for all the crimes he may have committed - many suspected a deal

- Ford wanted to cut govt spending, maintain interest rates, and slowly build up economy

- Ford vetoed more major bills than any modern president, but Congress overrode most

- Many times, Ford would mix up words or muddle his thoughts - seen as rather simple

- Betty Ford became admired by many Americans - very open and had modern ideas

The 1976 Election

- Ford’s only competition for the Republican ticket was Ronald Reagan

- Ford was nominated because Reagan was seen as too conservative

- Chose Bob Dole (Kansas) as his running mate

- Jimmy Carter depicted himself as an unfamiliar outsider - acted like a country bumpkin

- Told Americans “I will never lie to you”

- Americans remembered Watergate all too well, and chose to go with a Democrat

- Senator Walter Mondale became Vice President

- 46.7 percent of eligible voters did not vote

The Carter Presidency

- Carter was very hesitant and undecisive, and shifted more and more towards the right

- Took very little initiative to boost the economy and make radical changes

- Media exposés helped reveal rampant govt spending and to portray Carter as uncaring

- Like Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter tried to get involved, but many felt she did too much

The New Poverty

- Although many of the income separations between blacks and whites declined in the 60s, these positive trends reversed during the 70s

A Two-tired Society

- In the 70s, Americans as a whole were healthier than ever before

- The rich were becoming richer, and the poor were becoming poorer

- More than 10% of the population lived in poverty

- Far more minority groups were impoverished than whites

- Although the govt introduced affirmative action, there was a growing split in incomes

- School Busing - Govt forced kids to bus to school to achieve racial equality

- Racism dwindled because of a white push to the suburbs

- Inner cities were left to minorities - 1980 - 50% of black teenagers drop out

- 1978 - US Court ruling stated that affirmative action could only be used when it could be proved that a “legacy of unequal treatment” had occurred

The Feminization of Poverty

- Although more and more women entered the work force, their wages declined

- Divorce settlements highly favoured men - womens’ living standard declined by 73%

- Single mothers had an extremely hard time not being impoverished

- National Welfare Rights Organization aided many single, poor women

“The Underclass”

- “The Underclass” became a metaphor for the deteriorating conditions in urban America

- “Blacks were no closer to catching up with whites than they were before”

- Black families tended to be matriarchial

- Indian people remained the poorest of anyone

- Federal govt did little to help the Indians integrate

Communities and Grass-Roots Policies

- As people had children, they became more involved in their communities

- Mass demonstrations in the 60s led to localized protests in the 70s

The New Urban Politics

- Many college towns became politically active

- African American candidates began to reach political positions

- Black-led communities focused more on education and social services

- Other minorities did not advance as quickly

- Angry whites cried out against affirmative action, or “reverse discrimination”

The City and the Neighbourhood

- City dwellers supported public institutions such as art galleries, hospitals, etc

- Community Development Act (1974) - mayors could control of cities’ spending

- Many other organizations formed to work for other beneficial programs in cities

- CDC’s - Community Development Corporations

- 1979 - Carter’s National Commission on Neighbourhoods

- Made 200 recommendations on how to better develop communities

- Even when old neighbourhoods were restored, they were quickly bought up by middle-class people trying to look rustic

The Endangered Environment

- After birth defects and miscarriages started happening, people began to see how terrible the environment was becoming

- Love Canal, NY - Town was built on toxic waste ground

- Much of the environmental awareness came from Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (‘62)

- 1970 - April 22nd chosen as Earth Day

- Recycling became popular, and cities began to reduce their excesses

- Groups such as Greenpeace sponsored direct action to preserve the environment

- 1970 - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formed as a regulatory agency

- Although Congress passed various clean air acts, cities found loopholes to avoid them

Small-town America

- Various problems with city life led to a mass exodus to the suburbs

- Americans wanted to live in a small town that was still within easy reach of cities

- Called “exurbia” - isolated but still within range of civilization

- Many small-town areas did not prosper during the 70s

- “Snowball effect” led to rundown schools and inadequate medical care

The New Conservatism

- Many taxpayers resented having to pay for programs that did not aid them

- Angry whites grouped together, especially in poor urban areas, to protest minorities

The New Right

- Lower-class white voters felt alienated by the defeat in Vietnam and the increasing regulations by the federal government

- The “New Right” identified themselves by defending “family values”

- Wanted to influence legislation and thereby gain power

- Most shocking element was the paramilitary wing:

- Radicals armed themselves and trained for combat

- Many Americans became evangelical Christians

- 40% of all Americans reported that they were “born again”

- Protested against abortion, the ERA, gay rights, and the busing of schoolchildren

- Televangelism became hugely popular, and reached large audiences

- Jesse Helms - First politician to appeal directly to the New Right as voters

- Previously had defended the Klan

Anti-ERA, Antiabortion

- The New Right was intent on defeating the Equal Rights Amendment

- Wanted to restore traditional family values “destroyed” by the women’s lib movt

- Phyllis Schlafly led the STOP ERA campaign

- The New Right had many wealthy supporters, and their campaigns were overwhelming

- Although 35 states ratified the amendment, it remained 3 votes short of passage

- Finally died in 1982

- 1973 - Roe v. Wade - Essentially legalized abortion on demand

- Many groups organized protests and pushed for the “right to life”

“The Me Decade”

- 1976 - “The Me Decade” phrase coined by novelist Tom Wolfe

- After the political turmoil of the 60s, Americans returned to personal focuses

- Erhard Seminars Training (EST) - blended psychology and mysticism

- Taught Americans to imagine themselves successful and satisfied

- For many Americans, therapy gave the security that religion used to provide

- “Transcendal Meditation” found many advocates among successful professionals

- Many religious cults gained ground during this time as well

- In music, heavy metal and punk became popular among young white men

Adjusting to a New World

- April 1975 - N. Vietnamese capture Saigon, renaming it Ho Chi Minh City

- Vietnamese defeat French and Americans, and Vietnam becomes communist

- Government agrees that there will be “no more Vietnams”

A Thaw in the Cold War

- Defeat in Vietnam forced a retooling of foreign policy

- Maintaining a war was becoming more and more costly each year

- American productivity levels dropped and more kids left high school early

- After a meeting in Helsinki in 1975, Western leaders saw that the Soviets were no threat

- SALT I - Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty - negotiated by Nixon

- SALT II - negotiated in Vladivostok in 1974 by Ford and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev

- 1979 - Final Agreement secured by Carter in 1979

- Treaty never confirmed by Senate due to the Soviets’ invasion of Afghanistan

Foreign Policy and “Moral Principles”

- Each of Carter’s decisions confronted long-held diplomatic policies

- Carter originally wanted to stand for morality, decency, generosity, and human rights

- For the first time, activists spoke out against Apartheid in S. Africa

- Although Carter originally wanted to limit the power of the CIA, this soon failed

- Carter helped to switch the control of the Panama Canal to the Panamanians

The Camp David Accords

- American interests in the Middle East had traditionally balanced their support of Israel with their desire to obtain Arab oil

- Early in his presidency, Carter met privately with Israel PM Menachem Begin

- Wanted to negotiate peace with Egypt

- 1978 - Carter brought Begin and Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat to Camp David for a three-day retreat to plan negotiations between the two countries

- Ended up lasting 13 days, brought about unprecedented agreements

- Sept 1978 - Egypt acknowledged Israel’s right to exist and regained Sinai Peninsula

- In 1979 both Begin and Sadat won the Nobel Prize for Peace

- Begin refused to negotiate a settlement with Palestine

- Carter’s immense support for the Palestinians lost him support among Jews

Carter’s “Crisis of Confidence”

- 1979 - Carter gathered his staff at Camp David to reassess the problems facing the US

- After the retreat, Carter urged Americans to show more faith in their leaders

- Became known as Carter’s “malaise speech”

- Ended up backfiring, with his popularity dropping to 26%

- If Carter moved towards peace in the Middle East or made a lasting arms bargain with the Soviets, he might have been able to win a second term in office

(Mis)Handling the Unexpected

- As Carter’s term came to a close, several crises erupted in foreign affairs

- Carter’s aides gave him conflicting advice on how to handle the situations

- After Congress denied $75 million for the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, they allied with Cuba and the Soviets

- Carter continued to support an oppressive regime in El Salvador

- Andrew Young - First Black diplomat to Africa - helped resume relations with Nigeria

- Young was fired for meeting with the PLO in secret - Carter had even less success

- Soviet attack of Afghanistan called the “Soviet Vietnam” by the American press

- The Carter Doctrine: (add-on to the Monroe Doctrine)

- Stated that the US would protect its interests in the Persian Gulf

- Carter asked athletes to boycott the Olympics in Moscow, and prepared for another war

- Any prospect of a detenté or peace which would end the war was over

The Iran Hostage Crisis

- Nov 4, 1979 - Iranian fuldamentalists seize a US embassy in Tehran

- Hold 52 employees hostage for the next 444 days

- US foreign policy in the Middle East had depended on a friendly govt in Iran for years

- US attempted a rescue mission, but this failed when the helicopter crashed

- US had no other options but to negotiate

- Sec. of State Cyrus Vance resigned, and Carter violated his own human rights policy

- Supported the Shah, who’s human rights record was terrible

The 1980 Election

- Even at the start of the campaign, Carter was seen in the worst possible light

- Democrats unenthusiastically supported Carter and his running mate, Walter Mondale

- Republicans nominated Ronald Reagan and George Bush

- Republicans asked voters “are you better off now than you were four years ago?”

- Eventually cruised to victory

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