The Nixon Presidency The Nixon Presidency is a concise and accessible survey of domestic policy, foreign affairs, and politics during the thirty-seventh president’s time in office. Richard Nixon was the most polarizing president of the twentieth century and one who continues to fascinate observers of American political life. Admirers saw him as the personification of the American dream of upward mobility and their ally against threats at home and abroad. Detractors considered him a deceitful, sinister figure who threatened democracy, was wrapped up in Watergate, and perpetuated an immoral war in Vietnam. As time passes, new questions and insights into the Nixon era arise and various phenomena, such as the expansion of the welfare state, the growth of the administrative state, the evolution of the Republican and Democratic Parties, and the deepening polarization in politics and the broader society, cast Nixon’s presidency in a new light. This book uses Nixon as a prism through which to view American history at home and abroad and shows how Nixon’s influence remains evident half a century after he left office. The text is supported by primary source documents, which makes it ripe for classroom use and key for students of American history, the American presidency, and the sixties. Timothy N. Thurber is Professor of History at Virginia Commonwealth University, USA. Introduction to the series History is the narrative constructed by historians from traces left by the past. Historical enquiry is often driven by contemporary issues and, in consequence, historical narratives are constantly reconsidered, reconstructed and reshaped. The fact that different historians have different perspectives on issues means that there is often controversy and no universally agreed version of past events. Seminar Studies was designed to bridge the gap between current research and debate, and the broad, popular general surveys that often date rapidly. The volumes in the series are written by historians who are not only familiar with the latest research and current debates concerning their topic, but who have themselves contributed to our understanding of the subject. The books are intended to provide the reader with a clear introduction to a major topic in history. They provide both a narrative of events and a critical analysis of contemporary interpretations. They include the kinds of tools generally omitted from specialist monographs: a chronology of events, a glossary of terms and brief biographies of “who’s who.” They also include bibliographical essays in order to guide students to the literature on various aspects of the subject. Students and teachers alike will find that the selection of documents will stimulate the discussion and offer insight into the raw materials used by historians in their attempt to understand the past. Clive Emsley and Gordon Martel Series Editors The Nixon Presidency Timothy N. Thurber Cover Credit: National Archives Catalog, Identifier 66394143 First published 2022 by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2022 Timothy N. Thurber The right of Timothy N. Thurber to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Thurber, Timothy N., 1967– author. Title: The Nixon presidency / Timothy N. Thurber. Description: First edition. | Abingdon, Oxon ; New York : Routledge, [2022] | Series: Seminar studies | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Subjects: LCSH: Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913–1994. | United States—Politics and government—1969–1974. | United States— Foreign relations—1969–1974. | Presidents—United States—Biography. Classification: LCC E856 .T49 2022 (print) | LCC E856 (ebook) | DDC 973.924092 [B]—dc23/eng/20211007 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021046250 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021046251 ISBN: 978-0-367-50093-1 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-367-50092-4 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-04877-0 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003048770 Typeset in Sabon by Apex CoVantage, LLC To: Allison, Ian, and Anika Contents List of figures ix Acknowledgements x Chronology xi Who’s Who xvi Part I Analysis and assessment 1 Introduction 3 1 The road to the White House 7 Congress (1947–1953) 9 Vice president (1953–1961) 14 The 1960 election 18 The wilderness years (1961–1968) 20 The 1968 election 22 2 Domestic policy 29 Spending and the structure of the federal government 31 Economics 34 Economic regulation and the environment 36 Race, ethnicity, and women 39 Criminal justice 46 The Supreme Court 48 Conclusion 49 3 Foreign affairs 51 Vietnam 52 The Soviet Union 62 China 63 The Middle East 66 viii Contents Other parts of the world 68 Conclusion 69 4 Politics 71 The media 72 The 1970 congressional elections 78 The 1972 presidential election 87 5 The fall of a president 94 June–December 1972 96 January–June 1973 100 July–December 1973 105 January–September 1974 108 Watergate’s legacy 113 Nixon’s post-presidency 117 Part II Documents 119 Glossary 146 Further reading 151 References 156 Index 160 Figures 1.1 A 1954 Herblock Cartoon, © The Herb Block Foundation 19 1.2 Map of the Vietnam War 23 2.1 Richard Nixon signing the Clean Air Act, 31 December 1970 39 3.1 Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, 8 February 1972 53 3.2 Richard Nixon and Chinese Premier Chou En-Lai, 21 February 1972 65 4.1 Hard hat presented to President Nixon, May 1970 84 4.2 Richard Nixon and Elvis Presley, 21 December 1970 86 5.1 Richard Nixon departing the White House after resigning, 9 August 1974 112