The Nixon Presidency

187 Pages·2022·14.92 MB·English

by  Timothy N. Thurber

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