The Cold War

Domestic Policies

 

New Federalism was an approach to government programs that had not been previously taken in the Eisenhower, Kennedy, or Johnson administrations. Nixon wanted to work with the government programs that were at hand--lessening federal involvement--instead of creating more programs. New Federalism was a system that would divert money and power away from the federal government to state and local governments. 

 

In 1972 Nixon created the State and Local Assistance Act, redistributing $4 billion to state and local authorities initially. The program was cancelled in 1968 by President Reagan when the amount had reached $83 billion. Nixon discontinued Johnson's Office of Economic Opportunity (led the "war on poverty"),  and reorganized the Community Action Program. Nixon wanted to replace food stamps and Medicaid with a yearly subsidy of $1,600, and he announced as much 8 August 1969.

 

Nixon wanted to slow down the civil rights movement--not necessarily halt it in his tracks. However, after the courts ruled in Brown vs. Board of Education Topeka, he had a hard time trying to convince the courts to order that desegregation of schools be 'slowed down.' Nixon supported the women's movement and the Equal Rights Amendment, increasing the number of women holding high ranking positions in the government. He was also supportive of the Philadelphia Plan initiative from the Labor Department, which would provide training and employment opportunities for minorities.

 

Environmental legislation was successful in that many of the legislative pieces Nixon put forward, were groundbreaking. The National Environment Policy Act of 1969--created the Clean Air Act in 1970 and the Water Pollution Act in 1972. Nixon also established the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970, and created the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the "Legacy of Parks" progra (to encourage construction of more parks).

 

Foreign Policies

 

Nixon successfully removes the US from Vietnam with a policy he called "Vietnamization," where as ground troops were steadily being removed from combat, South Vietnamese forces would take on more responsibility for supporting their own war effort. President Nixon's policy removed all US ground troops from Vietnam by 1973.