Transcript Chapter 24 Section 3 Notes The Presidencies of Gerald Ford

Chapter 24 Section 3 Notes
The Presidencies of Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter
Gerald Ford becomes President
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From Michigan
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Played football at U of M
Takes over for Nixon
1st and only “appointed” President
Not real confident in his ability
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“I’m a Ford, not a Lincoln”
(Aug. 1974)
Ford’s 1st decision at President
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What to do about Nixon?
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If prosecuted and found guilty, how would it look for a president to go to jail?
If prosecuted and found not guilty, it would look like the gov was covering it up
If not prosecuted, should politicians be allowed to get away with crimes?
The decision: Ford Pardons Nixon
Consequences of the Pardon
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Public distrusts Ford immediately
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Believes he hooked Nixon up
 Becomes unpopular
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2 assassination attempts
(2 different women)
It is the main thing he’s remembered for
The Economy under Ford
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When he enters office, it stinks (around 10% inflation)
 Major problem = rising fuel costs
 How to solve it?
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Cut back on using fuel
Less govt. spending
Make it difficult to get credit
Did it work?
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A little… but only for awhile
Foreign Policy under Ford
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Very similar to Nixon (realpolitik and détente)
 Helsinki Accords
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involved 35 countries
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U.S. and Soviet Union main ones
More cooperation and trade between Eastern and Western Europe
Peace treaty broken in Vietnam
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N. begins fighting again with S.
Ford asks Congress for $ to help S. Vietnam
 Congress says NO MORE!
 Impact = S. Vietnam loses to N. Vietnam
 Becomes 1 Communist country
Mayaguez captured
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U.S. supply ship boarded by Khmer Rouge off coast of Cambodia
Negotiations for hostages fails
U.S. rescue attempt occurs
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18 die, 41 wounded on the ship
About same # for Khmer Rouge
1 of 3 U.S. helicopters crashes
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23 more soldiers die
Viewed as big failure
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More died than rescued
1976 Election
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Republican candidate = Ford (barely)
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Big split in party
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Democrat candidate = Jimmy Carter
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Former governor of Georgia
Peanut farmer
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a lot wanted Reagan (explain)
hard worker, nice guy
religious, family man
Carter wins close election
Bottom line
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People want a change
1976 Election Results
Carter’s Style
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Promised to talk with the public regularly
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like FDR
Didn’t have a good relationship with Congress
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Made it hard to get his goals accomplished
Carter’s Energy Policy
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Most important issue facing the nation
Carter’s solution = use less foreign oil
How to do that?
National Energy Act
 Tax gas guzzling cars
 Lower speed limit
 Encourage oil production in the U.S.
 A lot of oilfields popped up
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Off coast, Texas
Encourage development of alternative energy
 Provide tax incentives and grants
Carter
installed
Solar
Panels
At the
White
House
Energy Policy Impact
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Didn’t work well
 U.S. too dependent on oil
OPEC raised oil prices due to
 Instability in Middle East
 Lower supply of oil in U.S.
 oil workers strike
Lines at Gas stations to fill up tanks
 Shortages
 Rationing
 explain the waste
Big reason for inflation rate of 14%
Standard of living for U.S. citizens drops
 from 1st place to 5th place globally
The Economy Under Carter
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Cuts in U.S. manufacturing jobs due to
 More automation
 assembly lines & computers
 Foreigners do same jobs for less $
 globalization
 Rising energy costs
 less $ available for workers
Increase in U.S. Service jobs
 Communications
 Transportation
Good jobs require good education
 Some people struggle with this
Civil Rights Under Carter
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More minorities and women appointed to high positions
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Compared to any previous president
Supreme Court begins to limit affirmative action programs
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U. of California v. Bakke (pp. 818 – 819)
Foreign Policy Under Carter
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different than Nixon and Ford
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no realpolitik or détente
Focused on Human Rights
 if govt. in a country treated its people good,
Carter believed in having relations with and
helping them
Influenced by his strong religious upbringing
U.S. Relations around the world under Carter
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Agreed to give up control of Panama Canal by the year 2000.
 Controversial at the time
 improved relations between the U.S. and Latin Am.
Less Diplomacy with Soviet Union, China, Brazil, Argentina
 These countries treated many of their people poorly
The Soviet – Afghanistan War
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Countries had a good long term relationship
Afghan rebels (mujahedin) threaten to take over
Soviets don’t like this
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send in troops to help existing Afghan govt.
U.S. eventually supports mujahedin
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(1979 – 1989)
Provide weapons and training (No US troops)
Want less Soviet influence in Middle East
War becomes Soviet version of Vietnam
Afghan rebels win (Civil War begins)
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Who eventually runs it? THE TALIBAN
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They use weapons we provided them against us when we invade after 9/11/2001
Camp David Accords
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Jimmy Carter organizes this meeting in U.S. at Presidential retreat
 Anwar Sadat – Egypt’s President
 Menachem Begin – Israel’s Prime Minister
The Deal
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Egypt gets some land back from Israel (Sinai)
Egypt recognizes Israel’s right to exist
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(Sept. 1978)
1st Middle Eastern country to ever do so
Both leaders win Nobel Peace Prize
Reaction
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PR success for U.S.
Most of Middle East hates it
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Sadat looks like a sell out
Assassinated in 1981
Palestinian Leader
Origin of the Iran Hostage Crisis
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the Shah of Iran had a long positive relationship with the U.S.
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in power from 1941 – 1979
didn’t treat most people well
 contradicts Carter’s Human Rights foreign policy
 almost lost power once in the early 1950s
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Remember Chapter 19? (pp. 623 – 624)
Iranian Revolution
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Forces Shah to leave
Ends up in U.S.
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Has cancer
Gets treatment
Ayatollah Khomeni
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New Iranian leader
Muslim, Traditional
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Opposite of Shah
Wants Shah to “stand trial”
 For crimes against Iranians
Carter refuses to send him back
(1979)
Iran Hostage Crisis
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Revolutionaries storm U.S. embassy
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Take 52 Americans hostage
 A few escape (Argo movie)
Held for over a yr.
Carter unable to negotiate their release
during his Presidency
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Shah dies in 1980
(late 1979 – early 1981)