1970s Politics and Society the “Me Decade”

Ch 55 History Alive(to go with questions)

1. Bicentennial

•In 1976, the US celebrated the 200th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence (1776-1976).

2. Tom Wolfe “Me Decade”• Wolfe wrote about changes

from the 1960s• Idealistic Americans had

worked hard to end racism, poverty, and create a more just society

• 1970s=self-improvement and fulfillment

3. Problems for President Ford -1974

•Vietnam continued to divide the nation

•Ford pardoned Nixon for the Watergate = further divide!

•Continued stagflation

4. Welfare = Inflationary

• Welfare and military spending are inflationary because they put more money in people’s pockets without increasing the amount of goods supplied (this causes a rise in cost)

5. OPEC• Organization of the Petroleum

Exporting Countries (association of countries that depend on oil for national income)

• Began to increase prices during the 1970s when they realized our dependence on foreign oil.

6. Jimmy Carter’s appeal

• Carter appealed to voters as an outsider to Washington. Untouched by scandal.

7. National Energy Act

• Offers tax credits as incentives to people who conserved energy by insulating homes or investing in alternative energy sources (solar panels)

8-10 (Gasoline Prices 1970s)• 8. Cheapest in 1973• 9. Highest in 1980!• 10. The price of gas went up

drastically because the supply of oil dropped, causing the price to go up.

11. Carter Foreign Policy

•Carter focused on promoting justice, equality and human rights

12. Carter’s greatest foreign policy success

• Camp David Accords-established peace between Egypt and Israel by inviting the leaders to Camp David, a presidential retreat in MD.

ADD-Iran Hostage Crisis• 1970s the US increased military

aid to Iran, but the leader was overthrown in a civil war

• The leader (Shah) was admitted to the US for medical treatment

• ENRAGED militants and they took 66 Americans hostage

• Hostages were not released until Carter left office in 1980

14. Comparable Worth• Feminists of the 1970s began

to campaign for equal pay for comparable education and training

15. National Women’s Political Caucus

•Raised money to get more women elected to office and male candidates who took a strong stand on women’s issues

17. Microprocessor

•Microprocessors made it possible for the size of computers to shrink, and allowed for the first PCs.

18. Microprocessor and Medicine

• The microprocessor allowed for doctors to look inside a persons body for problems.

• CT scanner allowed for doctors to use X-rays to create a 3-D image of problems

19. Microwave

• Microwaves work by bombarding the food with radio waves.

• Food cooked faster, changed the world forever!

20. 1970s Life Expectancy

•During the 1970s, more people were retired, and people were living longer than ever.

•Many retirees redefined retirement by traveling, having fun, and relocating

21. Population Shift

•1970s people moved from the Rustbelt to the Sunbelt

22. Result of the Population Shift

•As a result of the population shift, the House of Representatives had to be reapportioned to reflect the population change.

23. Religious Change

•The 1970s saw an increase in Eastern religious following – Buddhism, Hinduism and Hare Krishna.

24. Movies 1970s • Star Wars• Saturday Night Fever• The Godfather

26. “Funky Fashions”

• Disco• Disc Jockeys

(“DJs”)• Platform shoes,

polyester leisure suits, mood rings…