ford and carter knowledge organiser

• what was the Three Mile Island Accident?

  A nuclear accident in Pennsylvania in March 1979 causing anti nuclear protests
• What is Reservations?


  an area of land managed by a Native American tribe instead of the state government
• What is the ERA?

  Equal Rights Amendments (to the constitution)
• What is The Church Committee?

  a US Senate committee that investigated and reported on the activities of the CIA in 1975
• What is the Hustler?


  a popular pornographic magazine
• What does OPEC stand for?

  the Organisation of Oil Exporting Countries
• What is Saigon?


  capital of South Vietnam and the centre of US power in Vietnam
• Who is Zbigniew Brzeinski?

  Carter's National Security Advisor who criticised detente an believed the USSR were weak
• What is SALT II?

  the second Strategic Arms Limitation Talks agreement blocked by Congress after the USSR invaded Afghanistan in December 1979
• Who is Deng Xiaoping?

  the leader of Communist China after Chairman Mao
• What was the Yom Kippur War?

  the attack of Israel by Egypt and Syria in 1973
• What were the Camp David Accords?

  Peace Agreement made between leaders of Egypt and Israel at the President's Camp David residence
• what was the PDP?

  the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (communist) that took power in 1978
• Who were the Mujahideen?

  Islamic Afghan fighters against the PDP
• What was the White Flight?

  practice of White Americans moving to city suburbs to avoid racial integration
• What was Affirmative Action?

  deliberately employing black Americans in order to address inequality in employment
• What is Blaxploitation?


  films with black heroes and black actors
• what is the New South?

  the name for the South after political and economic changes in the 50s, 60s, 70s
• Who were the Religious Rights?

  a growing Christian group who opposed changes in US society in the 60s and 70s, they voted for Reagan
• What was the Sexual Revolution?

  changes in attitudes towards sex in the 60s particularly around contraception and abortion
• what happened in August 1974?

  Ford becomes president after Nixon's resignation
• When does Ford grant Nixon a full pardon?

  September 1974
• What happened in January 1977?

  Carter becomes president after beating Ford in 1976
• When did Reagan become president?

  January 1981, after beating Carter in 1980
• What challenges did Ford face as president in 1974?

  - public distrust

  - rising inflation and unemployment

  - busing

  - abortion

  - native/ hispanic American rights
• What was Ford's image like?

  he had a reputation for integrity and had a 'man of the people' image however he lost support after pardoning Nixon
• What was the aftermath for Ford after pardoning Nixon?

  he lost a lot of support, and he was mocked by the media for making bad decisions, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and being clumsy
• How did Carter become president?

  he beat Ford int he 1976 election after campaigning in 37 states
• What were Carters aims?

  he aimed to regain trust and heal divides in US society however he was reluctant to use federal spending to gain support in Congress who were then unwilling to work with him
• what was Carters personality and popularity like?

  he lacked charisma, leading to his popularity fading and being damaged by negative media coverage including the Three Mile Island Accident
• What were his stats with Acts?

  passed 29 acts but none were significant
• What was social unrest like during Fords presidency?

  there was a drop in social unrest after the Vietnam war
• What was Congress' and Fords relationship?


  Congress did not want to back Ford, therefore he couldn't push minority rights issues
• Was Ford pro women's rights?

  yes, and his wife Betty Ford spoke about abortion and addiction
• What was the 1974 Equal Credit Opportunity Act?

  it outlawed credit discrimination on sex
• What did Carter see a rise in?


  - distrust

  - activism

  - protest
• What did the 1976 Supreme Court rule against?

  property tax on Native American reservations leading to new freedoms
• What did Carter refuse to ban in 1977?

  anti gay discrimination in government
• What did Carter achieve for women?

  more ERA: 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act and domestic violence laws

  - right wing Christian groups opposed minority and women's rights as against the American dream
• What did Ford and the Church Committee do and find out?

  Ford pardoned Nixon and kept many of his advisors in his team, the Church Committee revealed CIA involvement in assassinations and coups damaging his public image