President Nixon’s administration created a lot of domestic policies that moved Nixon into the center of many political issues. Some of Nixon’s domestic policies opposed by conservatives include Occupation of Safety and Health Administration Board (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Aid for Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and Clean Air Act. Conservatives argued that the expensive new environmental rules had cost jobs and profits hence contributing the state of stagflation experienced by the United States Economy. Some conservatives claimed that increased government spending on social programs had significantly drained the economy.
The state of stagflation forced many American families to seek second sources of income that will enable them to maintain their living standards. Individual earning rates remained flat while prices of commodities and unemployment rate remained high. Conservatives also view Nixon's strict environmental policies as having contributed to the end of the Golden Age experienced by the United States. The Congress refrained from funding large irrigation projects in the West while fearing that the desert bloom was permanently altering the ecosystems. The United States began experiencing trade deficits, consumer prosperity came to an end, and the economy experienced high levels of inflation. The value of the dollar depreciated in comparison to other foreign currencies. As a result, American exports faced stiff overseas competition. The country was also met with an oil crisis after OPEC nations decided to place oil embargo to the United States.
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Another policy that was vehemently opposed by conservatives was the Affirmative Action Programs. Conservatives felt that Affirmative Action resulted in reverse discrimination. Many white males felt that they were losing jobs to women and the American minority population. The Affirmative Action involved the use of quotas to achieve racial balance in the workplace which gave women and the minority preferential treatment in jobs.