The United States went through some rough times between the mid-1950s and the late twentieth century. The presidents proposed and implemented domestic and international policies, some of which were quite positive and significantly improved the country socially and economically, while others proved quite disastrous. Nixon did a lot of good and promoted numerous domestic policies but also made other bad choices that deprived him of his presidency. Ford, who took over from Nixon, also made his mark by pardoning Nixon of all his charges, among other policies. Carter contributed by creating the Department of Energy, among other achievements. Reagan, on the other hand, made drastic economic policies that shook the US economy. On the international front, all the four presidents showed dedication towards promoting diplomacy, peace, and democracy throughout the world, in an n effort to counter Soviet supremacy and communism. They all made an effort to promote diplomatic relations with China, for instance.
Richard Nixon
President Richard Nixon implemented numerous domestic and foreign policies during his tenure, some of which proved quite economically and socially beneficial for the American people. Among his top domestic policies, Nixon is known for making it possible for women, for the first time, to fully and freely participate in collegiate sports. He signed into law Title IX civil rights law that prevented gender bias in the colleges and universities that received funding from the government. This policy arguably improved the American society both socially and economically. It encouraged and opened up more opportunities for girls or women to join and get involved in the various collegiate sports in government-funded colleges and schools. This policy absolutely strengthened the United States and put the country in a direction towards achieving gender equality. Women had been struggling during the prior years to be included in the various social and economic activities and events. Even after being allowed to vote during the 1920s for the first time, a lot still needed to be done to serve the course of democracy and public interest.
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On the international front, Nixon was also involved in various foreign policies that further benefited the country socially and economically. He was indeed the first United States president to recognize and promote trade with the Chinese. In a nation address, the President emphasized issues such as equality, peace, and trade. He intended to build and advance the American-Chinese relations (Nixon, 1971). This expanded the notion of human rights and morality beyond the borders of the United States. By recognizing and emphasizing that the Chinese were equal partners, the President promoted such notion, which should always be the cornerstone of the American foreign policy.
Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford worked under the Nixon administration and had shared interests as Nixon. One of the policies that Ford is commonly known for underrating is the pardoning of President Nixon. He took office after the resignation of President Richard Nixon, who was under fire for his involvement in the Watergate scandal. Ford, upon ascending to office, pardoned Nixon of all crimes, a move that was not received quite warmly by the American public. As a supporter of the former President, Ford continued on some of Nixon’s policies. On the international matters and relations with China, the President encouraged trade and diplomatic relations with the Chinese. While still working under the Nixon administration as the minority leader, he had made a visit to China and filed a report for the Congress and the President, highlighting his findings. He once again visited China, this time as a president, and continued on his quest to promote peace and cooperation between the great Chinese economy and the American economy. In his speech, President Ford mentioned that a collaboration with the Chinese would work in the interest of American and Chinese, as well as in the interest of international peace (Boggs & Ford, 1972).
Gerald Ford may not have made many positive impacts on the domestic front to improve the socio-economic status of the United States, but his foreign diplomacy achievement with china was quite significant. It opened way for surplus goods to enter the US from china while also allowing Americans to venture into Chinese markets. The policy also touched on and improved issues such as human rights, racial equality, and morality. Such diplomatic relations also helped to reduce the tensions of the cold war.
Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter made a lot of significant achievements during his presidential tenure in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He is mostly known for establishing the Department of Energy, which successfully addressed the problem of the energy shortage. In his Energy Address to the Nation speech, he delivered the good news and his strategy to solve the energy problem. One of the factors he mentioned with a lot of concern, was the fact that the United States was buying a lot of oil from foreign nations and was not producing enough gas and oil of its own. He mentioned that the nation’s energy problem was indeed quite serious and, at the time, getting worse. Among the items of his agenda was the strategy to control and reduce price, and increase production and distribution (Carter, 1979). On the international front, Carter promoted diplomacy and peace, helping various warring countries to achieve peace and, like his predecessors, worked to strengthen diplomatic relations with China.
The creation of the Department of Energy significantly impacted on the American economy. The policy worked to strengthen the economy of the country by encouraging the production of oil, gas, and coal while at the same time, also controlling and reducing prices. In doing so, Carter served in the interest of the American people and furthered the American dream. The continued diplomatic ties with communist countries such as China also help reduce tension between superpowers and restore global peace and coexistence.
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan’s domestic policies included reducing the growth of government spending as well as government regulation, and federal income tax. Also, in order to reduce inflation, he proposed to tighten the supply of money. Supporters of Ronald Reagan hailed his policies while opponents dismissed and ridiculed them. For instance, while the general public welcomed his policy to reduce taxes, others did not see where the increased revenues as proposed by Reagan would come from. On the international front and the china question, Reagan made even more progressive developments. During his campaigns, he pointed out that he would restore ties, not only with China but also with Taiwan (Hamilton, 1980). As the President, Reagan personally traveled to China in order to have a diplomatic meeting with the Chinese President. This was just the third time that an American president made a trip to China. Reagan re-established the diplomatic relationship with China and also talked about other issues such as the development of nuclear power.
Reagan intended to uplift the economy of the United States by reducing economic pressures such as taxes at the lower levels of the society. He also intended to reduce government spending while projecting more revenues on public policies and development. While different groups debate over the success of Reagan’s policies, it is clear that in promoting the economic policies, the President acted to serve the interest of the American public. He aimed to make life much easier for the American people while also encouraging small business and entrepreneurship. By re-establishing ties with China, the President further promoted trade and diplomacy between the two nations.
References
Carter, J., (April 1979). Energy Address to the Nation. Jimmy Carter: 39 th President of the United States . The American Presidency Project. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/energy-address-the-nation
Hamilton, J., (September 1980). Commentary: Reagan stumbling on China issue. Encyclopedia of Anti-Revisionism On-Line.
Majority Leader Hale Boggs & Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford. (July 1972). Impressions of the New China. Joint Report to the House of Representatives on their Mission to the People’s Republic of China. House Document No. 92-337. https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/0358/035800376.pdf#pagemode=bookmarks
Nixon, R.(July 15, 1971). “Remarks to the Nation Announcing Acceptance of an Invitation to Visit the People’s Republic of China.” Available online via The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=3079) .
