The Nixon Administration
The Nixon Administration is fairly regarded as the period of consolidation and retreat. On the one hand, Richard Nixon was able to address the inconsistencies in politics, law enforcement, and international diplomacy left by his predecessors. On the other hand, the challenges which Nixon faced upon taking office simply did not leave him any other choice but required immediate resolution. Discrimination, employment, desegregation of schools, drug wars and youth revolts against the War in Vietnam created a controversial political environment, which Nixon as the new President was expected to balance and control.
In many aspects, the rhetoric and policy promoted by Nixon were the natural and anticipated reaction to the policies promoted in the 1960s. This reaction was particularly obvious in civil rights domains, including construction and women’s rights. “During his first term, President Nixon reaffirmed the policy barring discrimination by government contractors by directing all federal agencies and departments to review their programs to make sure they were in accordance with Executive Order No. 11246” (Amaker 21). Needless to say that the Executive Order No. 11246 was the product of Lyndon Johnson’s desire to promote equal opportunity in employment, and for the purpose of the political and social stability Nixon simply could not ignore the emerging trends. His equal opportunity endeavors were particularly drawn and aimed at the construction industry, but the majority of his equal opportunity decisions and policies were upheld by courts (Amaker 22). Only during his second term was Nixon able to expand the role of the attorney general with respect to the enforcement of Title VI, which gave him authority to develop and review the standards for equal opportunity employment (Amaker 22).
The response to the Civil Rights initiatives of the 1960s was also reflected in Nixon’s commitment to women’s rights. The year 1964 was marked with the development and adoption of the 1964 Civil Rights Act which forever changed the principles and vision of equal rights in America; and to support the societal striving to gender equity, Nixon could not but create a task force which would monitor women’s rights and responsibilities in employment (Amaker 22). The ban on sex discrimination also extended to cover various educational programs, but these initiatives, unfortunately for many, were also associated with Nixon’s reluctance to reinforce and participate in various school desegregation activities. Even despite that Nixon recognized and justified the decision of Brown vs. Board of Education decision, he never wanted to speed up the pace of desegregation and was openly against busing (Amaker 23). This reluctance and this lack of equal opportunity stimuli in school environment were partially justified by the growing Nixon’s attention to youth revolts and the political shift in the drug law enforcement policies in America.
The 1960s were marked with the growing social and political tensions between youth organizations and groups and the American diplomacy. The War in Vietnam generated public opposition and turned the 1960s into the age of barricades. Thousands of young people voted against the conflict with Vietnam and were not willing to accept the growing number of casualties. Bearing in mind the political importance of the young population and looking forward into his political future, Nixon created a new political vision in America which had to lead the conflict in Vietnam to its logical end and to create a situation in which America would still look the winner (Amaker 24). The politics of Vietnamization, the withdrawal of the American troops from Vietnam, and finally the end of the conflict were the distinctive features of Nixon’s political strategy. As any other President, Nixon could not ignore the trends and political inconsistencies left by his political predecessors and being torn between different political options, Nixon had to choose the best political path.
This path and this reaction were also reflected in the changing rhetoric of drug law policies during Nixon’s presidency: in response to relatively calm attitudes toward drug violations between 1960 and 1969, Nixon actually initiated the new period of social and political preoccupation with drug issues (Sarat 116). The center of the then political discourse was in identifying youth as the victims of drug trade, and frequent arrests of bid dealers had to compensate for the lack of attention to drug issues at the beginning of the 1960s.
Unfortunately, not everything in Nixon’s political reactions was adequate and anticipated. In many aspects, Nixon missed or was not able to address numerous political issues, from desegregation at schools to the lack of attention toward minor drug dealers. Nevertheless, it would be fair to say that the Nixon administration, at least throughout its first years, was directed toward the policies and problems that had emerged in the early 1960s and required immediate political resolution.
In many aspects, the rhetoric and policy promoted by Nixon were the natural and anticipated reaction to the policies promoted in the 1960s. This reaction was particularly obvious in civil rights domains, including construction and women’s rights. “During his first term, President Nixon reaffirmed the policy barring discrimination by government contractors by directing all federal agencies and departments to review their programs to make sure they were in accordance with Executive Order No. 11246” (Amaker 21). Needless to say that the Executive Order No. 11246 was the product of Lyndon Johnson’s desire to promote equal opportunity in employment, and for the purpose of the political and social stability Nixon simply could not ignore the emerging trends. His equal opportunity endeavors were particularly drawn and aimed at the construction industry, but the majority of his equal opportunity decisions and policies were upheld by courts (Amaker 22). Only during his second term was Nixon able to expand the role of the attorney general with respect to the enforcement of Title VI, which gave him authority to develop and review the standards for equal opportunity employment (Amaker 22).
The response to the Civil Rights initiatives of the 1960s was also reflected in Nixon’s commitment to women’s rights. The year 1964 was marked with the development and adoption of the 1964 Civil Rights Act which forever changed the principles and vision of equal rights in America; and to support the societal striving to gender equity, Nixon could not but create a task force which would monitor women’s rights and responsibilities in employment (Amaker 22). The ban on sex discrimination also extended to cover various educational programs, but these initiatives, unfortunately for many, were also associated with Nixon’s reluctance to reinforce and participate in various school desegregation activities. Even despite that Nixon recognized and justified the decision of Brown vs. Board of Education decision, he never wanted to speed up the pace of desegregation and was openly against busing (Amaker 23). This reluctance and this lack of equal opportunity stimuli in school environment were partially justified by the growing Nixon’s attention to youth revolts and the political shift in the drug law enforcement policies in America.
The 1960s were marked with the growing social and political tensions between youth organizations and groups and the American diplomacy. The War in Vietnam generated public opposition and turned the 1960s into the age of barricades. Thousands of young people voted against the conflict with Vietnam and were not willing to accept the growing number of casualties. Bearing in mind the political importance of the young population and looking forward into his political future, Nixon created a new political vision in America which had to lead the conflict in Vietnam to its logical end and to create a situation in which America would still look the winner (Amaker 24). The politics of Vietnamization, the withdrawal of the American troops from Vietnam, and finally the end of the conflict were the distinctive features of Nixon’s political strategy. As any other President, Nixon could not ignore the trends and political inconsistencies left by his political predecessors and being torn between different political options, Nixon had to choose the best political path.
This path and this reaction were also reflected in the changing rhetoric of drug law policies during Nixon’s presidency: in response to relatively calm attitudes toward drug violations between 1960 and 1969, Nixon actually initiated the new period of social and political preoccupation with drug issues (Sarat 116). The center of the then political discourse was in identifying youth as the victims of drug trade, and frequent arrests of bid dealers had to compensate for the lack of attention to drug issues at the beginning of the 1960s.
Unfortunately, not everything in Nixon’s political reactions was adequate and anticipated. In many aspects, Nixon missed or was not able to address numerous political issues, from desegregation at schools to the lack of attention toward minor drug dealers. Nevertheless, it would be fair to say that the Nixon administration, at least throughout its first years, was directed toward the policies and problems that had emerged in the early 1960s and required immediate political resolution.
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