Chapter 28 Test Review — Notes

Overview

• Concise review of Nixon-era policies (Detente, New Federalism), the Watergate scandal and its consequences, and 1970s economic and foreign-policy challenges under Ford and Carter.

Section 1 — Nixon: Policies & Foreign Relations

Key terms

• Silent Majority: Middle-class, law-abiding Americans Nixon appealed to for political support.
• New Federalism: Nixon's plan to shift some federal responsibilities to state and local governments and to reduce federal spending and programs.
• Detente: A policy to ease Cold War tensions and improve diplomatic relations between hostile states.

Major actions and outcomes

• China and the Soviet Union visits: Nixon used high-profile visits to both countries to reduce tensions and open dialogue.
• SALT I (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks I): Treaty that temporarily froze the number of strategic nuclear weapons held by the U.S. and the USSR, limiting the arms race.

Section 2 — Watergate: Scandal, Cover-up, and Aftermath

What happened

• Watergate: A political scandal triggered by a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and a subsequent cover-up by Nixon's team aimed at securing his 1972 reelection.

Important people & facts

• James McCord: A retired CIA/security professional whose involvement raised suspicion because of his intelligence background.
• Executive privilege: Nixon invoked this doctrine to try to refuse turning over recorded White House conversations (the tapes).
• Saturday Night Massacre: Nixon ordered the firing of special prosecutor Archibald Cox; this led to the resignation of Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy AG William Ruckelshaus rather than obeying the order.

Gerald Ford and the pardon

• After Nixon resigned, Gerald Ford became president and pardoned Nixon, preventing criminal prosecution; this decision angered many Americans who wanted accountability.

Legacies of Watergate

• Loss of public trust in government and elected officials.
• Greater checks and oversight on executive power and increased demands for transparency.
• Reforms and stricter ethics/campaign rules followed in the 1970s to curb abuses (e.g., measures to increase disclosure and limit contributions).

Section 3 — 1970s Economy, Oil, and Carter Presidency

Inflation & stagflation

• Inflation: A rise in general price levels that reduces purchasing power.
• Stagflation: The unusual combination of high inflation with slow economic growth and high unemployment.

Ford's response

• W.I.N. (Whip Inflation Now): A public-appeal program where Ford urged citizens to spend less and be disciplined to help curb inflation; it relied on voluntary measures rather than major policy change.

OPEC and the 1970s oil crisis

• OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) is an oil-producing cartel that can influence global oil supply and prices.
• In the 1970s OPEC imposed an embargo on oil shipments to the U.S. (and other nations), causing gasoline shortages and sharp price increases.

Carter administration highlights

• 1976 election: Jimmy Carter (Democrat) was elected president.
• Camp David Accords (1978): Carter brokered a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, ending a state of war between them.
• Iran hostage crisis (1979–1981): Iranian militants seized the U.S. embassy and held American hostages for 444 days, partly in reaction to the U.S. hosting Iran's deposed Shah.

Quick timeline (1972–1979)

• 1972: Watergate break-in and Nixon reelection campaign.
• Early–mid 1970s: SALT I and Detente with USSR and China.
• 1973–74: OPEC oil embargo; rising gas prices and inflation.
• 1974: Nixon resigns; Gerald Ford becomes president and later pardons Nixon.
• 1976: Jimmy Carter elected president.
• 1978: Camp David Accords signed by Egypt and Israel.
• 1979: Iran hostage crisis begins and lasts 444 days.

Study tips & likely test points

• Be able to define key terms: Silent Majority, New Federalism, Detente, SALT I, stagflation, OPEC.
• Describe Watergate: break-in, cover-up, the role of the tapes, the Saturday Night Massacre, and Ford's pardon.
• Explain the causes and effects of 1970s inflation and the oil crisis, and how presidents Ford and Carter responded.
• Know the Camp David Accords and the significance of the Iran hostage crisis as a foreign-policy challenge.