Ford and Carter Administrations

1
Ford and Carter Administrations
1974-1976
1976-1980
2
OPEC Oil Embargo 1973-4

• OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting
  Countries)
• Members in 1973-4 Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar,
  Saudi Arabia, Libya, Venezuela, Indonesia, United
  Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Algeria, Ecuador
• Oil Embargo on Israels allies from 1973 Yom
  Kippur War
• Leads to inflation (oil increases 400 in one
  year)

3
Stagflation

• Stagflation Recession AND Inflation / Inflation
  Unemployment
• Started in 1960s Peaked in 1970s
• Causes
• Oil Embargo War Deficits lead to Inflation
• Foreign Competition lead to Unemployment
  Recession

4
Gerald Ford

• Only President never
• elected to office
• Was Fords pardon of Nixon good or bad for the
  nation? (speech)
• Aftermath of Vietnam
• Continued détente
• Helsinki Accords
• Defeated by Jimmy Carter (D) in 1976 elections

5
Jimmy Carter (1976-1980)

• Washington Outsider
• pros/cons
• Former navy officer
• Peanut Farmer
• Governor of Georgia
• Devout Baptist
• Question Carters Greatest Achievements?
  Failutres?
• Focus on human rights and diplomacy, rather than
  military force
• E.g. Soviet invasion of Afghanistan leads to U.S.
  boycott of 1980 Olympics in Moscow and withdrawal
  from SALT II treaty

Campaign T-Shirt
6
Carter Administration

• Achievements
• Human Rights
• 1978 Camp David Accords
• Peace b/w Egypt and Israel

Problems Continued Stagflation Iranian
Hostage Crisis
7
Carters Downfall

• Iran-Hostage Crisis
• QUESTION How should Carter have responded?
• Historical Context 1953 CIA coup
• CIA helped to place Shah Reza Pahlavi back on
  the throne after Iran attempts to nationalize oil
  industry

• EVENTS
• 1979 - Ayatollah Khomeini takes power
• Islamic Fundamentalist cleric
• Shah overthrown
• After Shah admitted to US, American embassy is
  taken with 66 hostages
• Hostages released hours after Reagans
  Inauguration (444 days)

8
Malaise

• QUESTION Explain several events of the 1970s
  that contributed to the general feeling of
  malaise
• Watergate
• Stagflation
• Energy Crisis
• Iran Hostage Crisis
• Three Mile Island
• Eroding National Confidence
• Carter Speech QUESTION What impact do you
  think this speech would have on Americans? On
  Carters popularity?
• Ford and Carter funnies