The Ford and Carter Years

Presentation on theme: "The Ford and Carter Years"— Presentation transcript:

1 The Ford and Carter Years

2 Ford Becomes President
Nixon Resigns When President Nixon and his vice president resigned in August of 1974 he nominated Gerald Ford to take the role of President. Ford nominated Nelson Rockefeller, a former New York governor, to serve as his vice president Controversy Ford announced that he had pardoned, or officially forgiven, any mistakes and crimes the President Nixon committed Ford achieved the effect of Americans thinking that he and Nixon made a secret deal, promising that if Ford would become president, Nixon would be pardoned for his crimes.

3 Stagflation Plagues the Nation
President Ford overcame his backlash from the controversy on how he gained the role of president, because of the troubled economy. Between the years 1974 and early 1975 inflation hit double digits. President Ford created the WIN (Whip Inflation Now) plan, to control inflation but it was a total failure. Instead of improving the economy it made things take a turn for the worse. Many factories closed, consumer demand for goods dropped quickly, and the rate on unemployment rose steadily. President Ford’s popularity plummeted.

4 Election or 1976 Jimmy Carter Wins
A former governor of the state of Georgia, he was nominated to be the democratic representative in the election of 1976 against the republican President Gerald Ford. Carter won slim popular majority, receiving slightly more than 50 percent of the vote. Carter won 297 votes compared to Ford’s 240 votes in the electoral college.

5 Carter’s Inexperience
From the beginning of Jimmy Carter’s presidency, he wanted to be seen as “The Citizens President”. Carter wore casual clothes, carried his own suitcase, and held town meetings. Carter did not have close ties with the Democratic Leadership in Congress, so when submitted numerous bills to Congress, few we actually passed. Carter fulfilled one of his campaign pledges by granting political pardons to Americans who had evaded the draft during the Vietnam War.

6 Carter Approval Ratings
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7 Carter’s Challenges The End of the Foreign Policy Consensus
New Congressional Power Viet Nam Syndrome 7

8 End of US Foreign Policy Consensus?
Truman Doctrine: Consensus L R Post-Viet Nam: Polarization 8

9 Congressional Power War Powers Resolution 1973 (PL ) (from Federation of American Scientists , see Appendix 3) Clark Amendment to Arms Export Control Act 1976 9

10 Viet Nam Syndrome 10

11 Key Advisors Sec State Cyrus Vance NS Adv. Zbigniew Brzezinski 11

12 Vance vs. Brzezinski (by 1978)
Issue Vance Brzezinski IR Belief System Idealism Realism View of Détente The basis of US foreign policy Perhaps too soft on Soviets View of SALT SALT II is crucial SALT II is a bargaining chip View of Regional Conflict Local issues that the US and USSR might be making worse Where the US and USSR must compete for global power View of Use of Force Skeptical about its usefulness An essential tool of a superpower 12

13 Carter Policies: “Dovish”
Human Rights SALT II 13

14 Carter Policies: Hawkish
MX Missile Trident D-5 Missile 14

15 Iranian Revolution Shah of Iran Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
Mohammed Reza Pahlevi Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini 15

16 November 4, 1979 16

17 Rescue Mission April 1980 17

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