Political Climate of the 1970’s Essay

The 1970s were propagation of chaotic events held over from the loony bin of the 1960s. The 70s brought Americans an end to the Vietnam War and a swap in the government activityal and social perspectives, another presidency term with Richard M. Nixon, and his policies of skirmish, and the Watergate scandal, ahead(p) to the first resignation of an American President. The end of the Vietnam War led to semipolitical and social fall come in around the globe, especially in America. All of the chaos of the 1970s also led Americans to pick up a changed perspective in their government. People were beginning to notice similarities between Nixons policies of engagement and strategies employ during the Cold War, and the aftermath of the Watergate scandal led many Americans to doubt the role of their government and its power.In 1969, Nixon built his presidential travail on the idea of ending the Vietnam War. Early in his administration, the president adumbrate a foreign indemnity ba sed on a baseborn profile and on reductions in the U.S. role abroad. Many believe this was the background for Nixons election. Fed up with the war in Vietnam, Americans were create from raw stuff to soak up our soldiers home. Nixon considered his engagement strategy peace with honor. Nixons priority was the settlement of the Vietnam crisis part using the peace with honor code. Nixon found an ally in hydrogen Kissinger who was the Nation Security Advisor and cyphering together to end the crisis in Vietnam. One strategy was called Vietnamization, a carrot on a start method, which would to gradually move the troops away and force the South Vietnamese to fight for themselves in order to advance peace talks in Paris. (Davidson et al., 2002 pg 895)The truth of the matter is that Nixon continued with the Vietnam War for nearly four much years. Nixons peace with honor code or policy of engagement was similar to Truman and the Cold War. Truman used the treat of nuclear arms attacks to terrify the communist bloc from expanding. When the peace with honor code did not work, that is when Nixon took natural action on an earlier threat by using troops, force, and weapons. Nixons policy of engagement also differs somewhat from the strategies used by others during the Cold War. Where containment sham a bipolar world, Nixons policy of detente saw the world as multi-polar. (Davidson et al., 2002, p. 907)By the end of March 1973, The Vietnam War had ended. All U.S. fighting forceshad been withdrawn. (Vietnam War, 2007) The political and social aftermath of the Vietnam War hit America almost immediately. In July 1971, for the first year in the century, it appeared that the U.S. would import more than merchandise than it exported, and thus it faced a severe deficit in its balance of payments. A federal budget deficit of about $20 billion was communicate for fiscal 1971. In August, a crisis in world m cardinaltary constancy was evident, and the value of the dollar wa s threatened for the second time in a year. (The Vietnam War Period, 2007) By the end of the 1970s, the National Debt was nearly $382 billion.From spending silver during the war and cutting costs to federal programs, the nation was experiencing severe recession in 40 years. This recession affected many families, which became dual income households receivable to necessity. The government tried to fix this spiraling problem by ski lift minimum wage, simply with each wage increase came inflation and higher(prenominal) unemployment rates. To curb this growing problem, reversing his previous refusal to impose price and wage controls, Nixon inform a 3-month freeze on wages, prices, and rents. (TVWP, 2007)Before Nixon had a chance to work on changing the economic problems in America he was ring by the Watergate scandal. From the fall of 1973 through the summer of 1974, the evidence steadily attach that President Nixon himself was implicated in the Watergate burglary and its attempt ed cover-up, and that it was indeed only one aspect of a series of lawless acts committed by the administration. As a result, by the beginning of August 1974 the president was faced with impending impeachment. He resigned on August 9, the first president of the U.S. to do so. (TVWP, 2007) Americans have come to believe the worst about government, governance, and politicians. It didnt start with Watergate, but Watergate turned an erosion of open confidence into a collapse. The downturn came to a climax with Watergate.Americans saw a presidency disintegrate before their eyes, bend conspiracies at the highest level of government and a president driven out of office. The effect on public trust was immediate and dramatic. Watergate crushed the publics faith in government. In 1974, a little more than a third of Americans 36 percent said they salvage certain(p) the government. (Americans in the 1950s and 1960s saw there government as successful. They had led the country out of a dep ression and won a worldly concern War. The 1970s didnot carry that same prestige, instead the American public saw there elected leader in the snapper of a severe scandal, the worst recession in 40 years, and an untune loss to an un-winnable war. Since Watergate, nothing has happened to restore public trust. (Bill, 1997).By the end of the 1970s, Americans were ready for change. The Vietnam War had ended, Nixon had resigned from office, and there was a lack of trust in government officials. Many Americans believed the 1980s were going to be that time of change. Nixon was a captain politician when elected president. Since that did not fare well, there was heightened contempt in professional politics. This created a market for outsiders and non-professionals for the job of Presidency. Many Americans today still crave for the Eisenhower or Kennedy era, but not since then has there been that mannequin of support for an elected president. Only when special interests groups stay out of politics or presidents remember they are leading by example leave alone that return. Lets all hope that day will be sooner kinda then later.ReferencesVietnam War. (2007). _World Almanac Encyclopedia,_ Retrieved November 19, 2007 from facts.com database.Davidson, J. W., Gienapp, W. E., Heyrman, C. L., Lytle, M. H., & Stoff, M. B. (2002). _Nations of Nations A Concise Narrative of the American Republic_ (3rd ed.). capital of Massachusetts McGraw-Hill.Bill Schneider, (1997). Cynicism Didnt Start With Watergate. _allPolitics_. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from http//www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/_United States of America HistoryFrom Watergate Through the 2000 Election._ (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2007, from The World Almanac Encyclopedia FACTS.com database.