Nixon’s Policies Target Middle America
Nixon’s ________ career had many ups and downs. He was elected to the _________________ in 1946
and to the ______ in 1950. In 1952 he was elected as _____________’s Vice President. In 1960 he ____
the presidential election to ________. In 1962 he _______ an election to be the governor of _________.
In 1968 he beat _________________ and became ____________.
“New Federalism”
Nixon said he was a spokesman for _____________, or the silent majority. Winning the support of all
middle America was hard. Nixon believed the Americans were tired of the “______________” created
under Johnson, but he also believed that the people still wanted to government to address social ills like
______ and ___________.
Nixon’s solution to this challenge was something he called “________________.” Nixon believed that
instead of power and resources flowing from the __________ to the federal government, the resources
should flow from the ______________ to the states. He proposed revenue _________ with the states
where the federal government would ______ the states money to fund __________ programs.
Expanding the Government’s role
As Nixon returned money to the states he also sponsored programs that ______________ the size and
role of the federal government. The Occupational _____________ Administration (OSHA) ensures that
_____________ are safe. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) wage war on drugs. The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforces ______________ standards. The Clean Air Act gives
the EPA the ability to set air quality ________________.
To ________________ the power of the federal government Nixon started dismantling the Office of
Economic Opportunity, part of Johnson’s “_______________.” At the same time Nixon proposed the
_______________ (FAP) which would provide a guaranteed minimum __________ to every American
family. FAP did not become law but spending on programs like Medicare and public housing _________.
The Economy Struggles
The economy struggled when _________ was president. There was a _________ and ___________ at
the same time. This new phenomenon surprised economists and they came up with a new term,
____________, to describe the conditions. Stagflation was caused by the Vietnam War causing inflation,
foreign competition destroying American jobs, and an increase in the price of _____.
In 1973 the Organization of ________________Countries (OPEC), a group of Arab countries that sells oil
to other countries and regulates the price and supply of oil, placed an embargo on ___________ and its
allies, which included the U.S. The U.S. was dependent on imports for _______ of their energy. The
embargo caused the price of oil to skyrocket _________ in one year. There was a gas shortage and even
when the embargo ended in 1974, gas prices remained high.
Nixon tried to combat stagflation by putting a __________________ on all wages and prices. It worked
for a short time, but long term sent the economy into a tailspin in the mid-1970s.
Southern Strategy and Busing
Nixon won a close election in _____, so he wanted to expand his base of _______. He focused on bluecollar workers and southern whites who traditionally voted ________. This was his _______________.
Nixon first tried to place __________ southern judges in federal courts, but they were not appointed
because they had supported ___________ in the past. Nixon also criticized court ordered ________ of
children to schools outside their _______________. In 1971 the courts had ordered school districts to
bus students to achieve greater racial _______. This was very unpopular, especially in the south. By
opposing busing _______ did win some Southern support.
New Civil Rights Initiatives
In _______ the Nixon administration proposed the ___________ Plan which was a type of affirmative
________. ____________ Action is a policy that gives ________ consideration to _________ and
________ in the fields of ____________ and ____________, in order to make up for past ___________.
Affirmative action was, and still is, controversial.
Nixon’s Strategy Succeeds
By 1972 Nixon had very _______ approval ratings. Some of his popularity was based on his foreign
policy (trips to _____ and the _____________) and some was based on his __________ policy. In _____
Nixon ran as a _____________ and painted his opponents as ______________. Nixon and Vice
President, _______________ won almost 61% of the popular vote, and almost all _________ votes. He
was the first Republican presidential candidate to sweep the entire _______.