Nixon

Question 1

What prior political experience did Nixon have?

Answer 1

Nixon served as Vice President under Eisenhower for his two terms before unsuccessfully running for President in 1960. Nixon proceeded to run unsuccessfully in the 1962 California Gubernatorial election.

Question 2

What were the results of the 1968 Presidential Election?

Answer 2

Nixon: 301 EC votes, 32 States won, 31.8 million votes, 43.4% of the vote.

Humphrey: 191 EC votes, 13 States + DC, 31.3 million votes, 42.7% of the vote.

Wallace: 46 EC votes, 5 States, 9.9 million votes, 13.5% of the vote.

Question 3

What was Nixon’s policy in regards to Vietnam?

Answer 3

He called for peace with honour and subsequently introduced a program of Vietnamization.

With this program US soldiers would be gradually withdrawn whilst South Vietnamese soldiers were trained.

In January 1973 the US secured a peace deal with North Vietnam.

Nixon did however, carry out operation menu in which Cambodia was bombed heavily.

Question 4

What foreign policy did he carry out regarding the Soviet Union and China?

Answer 4

He pretended to be a madman in order to make the USSR fear him.

He later visited both China and the USSR in 1972 engaging in what he called Ping Pong Diplomacy, this allowed him to reduce tensions between the two nations as well as formalising diplomatic relations.

He also signed a treaty to limit the production of nuclear weapons. Anti-ballistic missile treaty.

Question 5

What did Nixon found in 1970?

Answer 5

The Environmental protection agency which aimed to combat rising levels of pollution and oversaw the passage of various acts such as the clean air act.

Question 6

What did Nixon set aside $100 million dollars for?

Answer 6

He wanted to begin the war on cancer which led to the creation of research centres across the country.

Question 7

What did Nixon sign in 1972? Regarding Gender Bias?

Answer 7

He signed Title XI in 1972 which prevented gender bias at colleges and universities.

Question 8

What did Nixon do in regards to voting rights?

Answer 8

Through the 26th amendment he lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, March 1971.

Question 9

What did Nixon do in regards to crime?

Answer 9

He authorised that the FBI and Special Task forces cooperate in a bid to crack down on organised crime.

Question 10

What did Nixon do in regards to Native Americans?

Answer 10

He gave them the right to tribal self determination by ending the policy of forced assimilation and returning their sacred lands.

Question 11

How did Nixon respond to the 1973 oil crisis?

Answer 11

He initiated project independence in which he aimed to end US reliance on foreign oil by 1980.

Question 12

What did Nixon do in regards to the 1973 Yom Kippur war?

Answer 12

He sent huge sums of money and weapons to Israel.

Question 13

What were the results of the 1972 Presidential Election?

Answer 13

Nixon: 520 EC votes, 49 States, 47.1 million votes, 60.7% of the vote.

McGovern: 17 EC votes, 1 state + DC, 29.1 million votes, 37.5% of the vote.

Question 14

What happened on October 10th 1973? Regarding Nixon’s Vice President

Answer 14

His Vice President Spiro Agnew pleaded guilty for tax evasion and was forced to resign.

Question 15

On what date did Nixon resign from the White House?

Answer 15

August 9th 1974 and was subsequently replaced by his Vice President Gerald Ford.

Question 16

What did Nixon’s New Federalism do?

Answer 16

Provided state and local governments with billions of federal tax dollars which they could allocate accordingly.

Question 17

How successful were Nixon’s efforts to reduce inflation?

Answer 17

Partially successful in 1972 however, the economic situation worsened as wage and price controls were lifted 8.8% in 1973 followed by 12.2% in 1974.

Question 18

What happened in Kent State University?

Answer 18

On the 4th May 1970 2’000 students who had been protesting against US actions in Vietnam were opened fire on by the Ohio National Guard killing 4 and wounding 9.

Question 19

What did Nixon do in regards to Chile?

Answer 19

He back a coup by Augusto Pinochet in September 1973 against the Marxist President Salvador Allende.

Question 20

What did Nixon pass in August 1970? Regarding Stablilization?

Answer 20

He passed the economic stabilization act which gave Nixon the ability to act on wages, prices, rents and interest rates in order to stabilize the economy, also suspended the link of the dollar to gold.

Question 21

What did Nixon introduce in 1971 in regards to wages?

Answer 21

He introduced a price and wage freeze for 90 days however, it overran and lasted for around 1’000 days.

Question 22

What did Nixon pass in July 1971? regarding employment.

Answer 22

He passed the Emergency Employment Act which aimed to create community service which would remain in operation for two years and carried a special bias for Vietnam War Veterans.

Question 23

What did Nixon Pass in 1972?In regards to benefits

Answer 23

He passed the Social Security Act which originally raised payments by 20% in line with inflation. He then amended it so that benefits payments were linked to the CPI.