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January 9, 1913-April 22, 1994 Party: Republican Terms: 1969-1973, 1973-1974 Vice Presidents: Spiro Agnew, Gerald Ford
 * //__ Richard M. Nixon __//**

Richard Nixon came into office looking to better the citizens. At the time of entrance, he had enough background experience to guide him in the right direction. He gained this insight after serving two terms as vice president of the United States. Also, he was a man dedicated to his country; he served in the military, even though he was exempt from the draft. He did what he felt was his duty as a citizen, and was not going to let the laws change that. Lastly, he was a man of the people, and the individuals cherished him; so much so, that he was both president and vice president for two terms. Overall, this man made a few errors, but as a whole greatly bettered the country, therefore, Richard Nixon earns a **B** for his presidency.

When Nixon entered office, he already had **goals** in mind. After spending terms as vice president, he got a good idea of what was missing in America, as well as what needed major improvements. Nixon’s main goal was the end the war in Vietnam; he said he had a plan of peace to accomplish this. He also wanted to restore the countries laws, as well as the ways they were being upheld. Nixon hoped to completely eliminate the military draft, and even establish an army of volunteers. Drugs were creating more of a hassle than in prior years, so he promoted the breakdown of narcotic trafficking. Lastly, he wanted to reduce taxes as well as the inflation rate.

During Nixon’s terms, he was part of the **91st, 92nd and 93rd United States Congresses**. Through each and every one, the Democrats had majority; so fewer of the Republican ideas were getting passed. While there was tension between the parties, a lot did get passed, and promoted Nixon’s betterment goals. In the 91st, the largest amount of legislation was passed. In the //Tax Reform Act of 1969//, the government gave the individuals, as well as the corporate level minimal amounts of taxes. This increased the money in the pockets of the employees, as well as the development of the companies. The //National Environmental Policy Act// (NEPA) was created in 1969. It promoted the enhancement of the natural habitat, and established a president’s council on the quality of the environment. For the employees, Congress voted on the //Occupational Safety and Health Act// in 1970. This Act made the law that all workplaces had to ensure that their employees were safe from dangers, and that the working environment was in livable condition. Also, they passed the //Economy Stabilization Act//, which gave the president the power to control things like prices, rent, wages and interest rates. In the 92nd Congress they were more focused on the people specifically, and so they geared more their Acts to positive influence the citizen’s lives. The //National Cancer Act// was passed in 1971. This Act increased the amount of research on cancer, as well as the effort to someday cure it. Also, they passed the //Consumer Product Safety Act// in 1972. The goal was to establish a United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, to make safety standards and recalls. The only real big legislation in the 93rd Congress was the //Paris Peace Accords// in 1973. It created peace in Vietnam, and stopped the United States military involvement. Also, it partially eliminated the brawls between North and South Vietnam.

Between both terms, Nixon’s **administration** really emphasized the positive outcomes. They were able to //reduce America’s involvement in Vietnam//, as well as provide sufficient air and ammunition support for the South. In time of need, they bombed North Vietnam, and started the way to peace. The administration also receives great credit for the //New China Policy//. Nixon traveled in China in 1972, to achieve his goals for the “journey of peace”. Through this travel, the United States and China came to an agreement for contact in trade, science and culture. This accomplishment opened the once closed door for many years. The //Seabed Treaty// was done between the United States, Soviet Union and a few separate countries. They came to the conclusion to ban nuclear weapons in the ocean. They helped the people when they created //Revenue Sharing//. This type of sharing was in hopes that the government could help individuals in need, but on a more focused scale. It took billions of tax dollars, and circulated it into the state and local levels of government. Nixon achieved his goals of helping restore //Law and Order//. In the 1970’s the administration passed three important crime bills. The first was the Organized Crime Control Act, in which penalties were increased for the criminals that were considered less safe to the people. The second was the Drug Abuse Control Act, which upped the penalty for drug trafficking (such as narcotics). The third was the District of Columbia Criminal Justice Act, which authorized “preventive detention”. Also, Nixon was aimed to //lessening the damage on our environment//. They promoted many steps to environmental protection, as well as created laws that the citizens were required to abide. On top of that, he wanted the safest items for his citizens, so he strongly pushed the issue of //consumer safety//. The biggest positive moment in Nixon’s administration was on July 20, 1969. They put //Neil Armstrong on the moon//; and after that space exploration changed forever.

While Nixon had quite a powerful administration, they are frowned upon for the issues of the //Watergate Scandal//. In fact, many remember them more for this negativity than all the positives combined. The Scandal was made up of five parts. The first was when the officials working Nixon’s campaign put eavesdropping devices in the Democratic Party house. Then, a Republican tried to cause turmoil in the Democratic candidates. Third, President Nixon paid people off to keep this information on the down low. From there, the Republican’s hired someone to break in, and get rid of all the ‘holes’ in the issue. Lastly, the administration created an “Enemy List”. This issue was tremendous in terms of presidential scandals. It became so large, that they gave Nixon the choice of resigning, or being impeached.

The **decision that influenced the future generations** was the Watergate Scandal. Ever since Nixon had been in office, not one president had even had top be discussed about impeachment. The citizens really opened their eyes, and noticed all the things they never were aware of in political business. Some citizens lost trust in the central government, and could not come to bring it back. Also, few thought the president could lie to the country, and Nixon showed his true colors as a liar. The people lost hope in the government, and it forever changed the trust that many had begun to rebuild.

Overall, the country was //better o//ff after Nixon’s presidency. His administration made great strides in all the positive notions they passed, and truly kept the people in mind. Congress passed many of the necessary Acts to achieve Nixon’s goals; and the country was a smoother place. Minus the Watergate Scandal, Nixon was an excellent president. But it just shows how a mistake can completely change your opinion. He earns a **B**; and should be proud of all the successes he did have in two terms in office.

Works Cited "Consumer Product Safety Act -." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . DeGregorio, William A. //Complete book of U.S. presidents//. New York: Wings Books, Distributed by Outlet Book Co., 1992. Print. "91st United States Congress -." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . "Paris Peace Accords -." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . "Richard M. Nixon |." //The White House//. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . "Richard Nixon -." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . "Richard Nixon: Biography from Answers.com." //Answers.com: Wiki Q&A combined with free online dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedias//. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . "War on Cancer -." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. .