Essay

Considerations:

Retreat from liberalism and the emergence of a Republican agenda;

The Vietnam War: the dilemma of withdrawal of American troops and the escalation of the war;

Evolution of black activism;

Watergate Affair: abuses in the White House culminating in the scandal and Nixon's efforts to cover up.

Essay Question:

The late 1960s and 1970s were turbulent years both at home and abroad for the United States. Evaluate the failures and successes of the Nixon presidency during this period focusing on the issues of Civil Rights, the Vietnam War, America's relations with Communist China and the Soviet Union, and Watergate. What was the impact of the Nixon years on the presidency and political participation? How did conservative ideas shape the social, cultural and political landscape of the 1980s and 1990s?