Political Progress since 1964 - presidents

Question 1

When was President Nixon president?

Answer 1

1969-1974

Question 2

Was President Nixon republican or democrat?

Answer 2

republican

Question 3

What was President Nixon’s views on AA civil rights?

Answer 3

-privately racist-> didn’t want to meet black leaders
-opposed MLK holiday/day

Question 3

What did President Nixon do to do with congress?

Answer 3

-tried to revise the Voting Rights Act to give more power back to the states under Southern pressure

Question 4

What did President Nixon do to do with the supreme court?

Answer 4

-nominated a southern racist to the Supreme Court

Question 5

What did President Nixon do to do with AA power?

Answer 5

-limited influence on government in this period due to Nixon’s refusal to meet

Question 6

What social progress happened under President Nixon for AAs?

Answer 6

-1972 Equal Employment Opportunity Act->greater powers of enforcing prosecution against discrimination ->backed by whole of the Federal Government
-increased federal expenditure on poverty programmes->1940 there was 78% of Blacks below poverty line and in 1960 there was 50% and by 1974 there was 30%
-radical integration enforced
-1972->Southern schools were better integrated than the rest of the US (68%-8% attended segregated schools)

Question 7

What economic progress happened under President Nixon for AAs?

Answer 7

-affirmative action ‘hand ups not handouts’->avoid benefits in favour of long term economic support eg access to jobs
-the Office of Minority Business enterprise encouraged black capitalism
-limited funding for segregation HE institutions

Question 8

When was President Ford president?

Answer 8

1974-1977

Question 9

Was President Ford a republican or democrat?

Answer 9

republican

Question 10

What was President Ford’s views on AA civil rights?

Answer 10

-unwilling to commit to further civil rights progress but keen to cultivate good relations->many meetings with civil rights leaders

Question 11

What did President Ford do to do with congress?

Answer 11

-extended Voting Rights Act 1982 despite his party telling him to scrap it

Question 12

What did President Ford do to do with the supreme court?

Answer 12

-nominated the first black Secretary of Transport (William T Coleman)

Question 13

Did President Ford do anything to AA power?

Answer 13

no

Question 14

Did President Ford do anything to do with economic progress for AAs?

Answer 14

no

Question 15

What social progress happened under President Ford for AAs?

Answer 15

-opposing bussing to aid school desegregation

Question 16

When was President Carter president?

Answer 16

1977-1981

Question 17

What President Carter republican or democrat?

Answer 17

democrat

Question 18

What was President Carter the first president since?

Answer 18

-first Southern president since Woodrow Wilson

Question 19

Did President Carter do to do with congress?

Answer 19

no

Question 20

What did President Carter do to do with the supreme court?

Answer 20

-appointed more black to the federal judiciary than any other presidents

Question 21

What did President Carter do to do with AA Power?

Answer 21

-employed many blacks
-renewed Voting Rights Act
-appointed black women to his cabinet

Question 22

What social progress happened under President Carter for AAs?

Answer 22

-university of California vs Bakke in 1978

Question 23

Did President Carter have any economic progress for AAs?

Answer 23

no

Question 24

When was President Reagan president?

Answer 24

1981-1989

Question 25

Was President Reagan republican or democrat?

Answer 25

republican

Question 26

What was President Reagan's view on AA civil rights?

Answer 26

-didn’t support federal initiatives to provide blacks with civil rights -gave a States’ Rights speech in Philadelphia, Mississippi, where 3 civil rights workers were murdered in 1964 -opposed the Martin Luther King holiday and signed it only after an overwhelming veto-proof majority for it

Question 27

What did President Reagan do to do with congress?

Answer 27

-opposed the Civil Rights Acts 1964 and the Voting Rights Act 1965 -said Voting Rights Act was humiliating the South

Question 28

What did President Reagan do to do with the supreme court?

Answer 28

-Grove City College vs Bell 1984: Supreme Court decision of Civil Rights laws: Supreme Court ruled that only a course receiving a student reliant on federal aid had to comply with anti-discrimination laws, not the whole institution->the passing of the Civil Rights Restoration Act

Question 29

Did President Reagan do anything to do with AA power?

Answer 29

no

Question 30

What social progress happened under President Reagan for AAs?

Answer 30

-opposed Fair Housing legislation in California 1988: expanded the Fair Housing Act, 1968 ->made it easier to push cases to court

Question 31

What economic progress happened under President Reagan for AAs?

Answer 31

-1980: blacks made up to 12% of the population but 34% received housing subsidies and 35% food stamps

Question 32

When was President Bush president?

Answer 32

1989-1993

Question 33

Was President Bush republican or democratic?

Answer 33

republican

Question 34

Did President Bush have a view on AA civil rights?

Answer 34

no

Question 35

What did President Bush do to do with congress?

Answer 35

-much discussion over whether civil rights laws were properly enforced under Bush-> lawsuits dropped significantly

Question 36

What did President Bush do to do with the supreme court?

Answer 36

-1992->Supreme Court supported attacks on school desegregation (Freedman vs Pitts)

Question 37

Did President Bush do anything to do with AA Power?

Answer 37

no

Question 38

What social progress happened under President Bush for AAs?

Answer 38

-rioting in LA over outcomes of Rodney King case (he was a victim of police brutality)->bystanders videotaped much of the incident->footage showed officers repeatedly striking King with their batons ->this sparked the 1992 LA Riots

Question 39

Did any economic progress for AAs under President Bush happen?

Answer 39

no

Question 40

How did the NAACP get AAs involved in politics?

Answer 40

-Lobbying & litigation (school desegregation suits) -Most important black organisation in the leadership conference on Civil Rights (Black, Hispanics, women, disabled, elderly)

Question 41

How did AAs get involved in politics through politicians?

Answer 41

-Jesse Jackson, 1971-‘ People United to Serve Humanity ’ (PUSH) ->PUSH focused on using black buying power to gain employment ->In 1984, campaigned for Democratic Presidential nomination ->3rd most popular candidate 1988 - Campaigned again->2nd most popular-> seen as the most significant individual of the 70s, 80s and 90s -1980: 1% elected officials were black

Question 42

What was the status of AAs?

Answer 42

-Rise in KKK activity, 1970s -1/3 Black are in the middle class - 1/3 still lived below the poverty line and 1/3 occupied low status, low skilled jobs->Black wages were 50% of whites -Higher proportion of blacks accused and convicted of crimes-12% of population->43% of rapes, 55% of murders, 69% of robberies. -Black ghettos were extensive -Widespread racism & prejudice still existed