1) What circumstances led to Americans' disillusionment with the government and their sense of the country in crisis in the 1970s? Was Watergate an anomaly or part of a larger pattern?  I want resource with the answer

2..In Carter's "Crisis of Confidence" what does he argue is the biggest crisis facing the country? Is this an optimistic or pessimistic speech? Remember to include evidence/examples to support your answer? I want resource with the answer

 

Three sources have been used (complete with in text citations, and references below the answer).

There were many circumstances, which led to Americans' disillusionment with the government, as well as their of the country, in the 1970's. However, two big reasons were economical issues, as well as the watergate scandal. However, both reasons hurt the faith of the American people, in relation to their trust in the government.

Due to economic issues, people had lost their faith in the government. Moreover, the reason why economic issues happened, is because of poor spending issues. This ties into the faith that people had lost in the government, because they realized that rather than finding ways to support the Americans financially, the government was spending money on needs, that he felt were more important. As such, the economic crisis not only caused a moral crisis, but also a s spiritual one as well, in which lost their faith, that someone with a higher authority could guide them.

As stated in "Jimmy Speaks about a national "crisis in confidence", "Carter heard from the attendees that Americans were also suffering from a deeper moral and spiritual crisis. This lack of "moral and spiritual confidence," he concluded, was at the core of America's inability to hoist itself out of its economic troubles. He also admitted that part of the problem was his failure to provide strong leadership on many issues, particularly energy and oil consumption" (p.1).

This demonstrates Americans' disillusionment with the government, in relation to the poor handling of financial goods and services, and the lack of moral and spiritual confidence, needed to be fixed. However, the quote also says that Carter failed to provide strong leadership, in relation to many issues. One of the biggest areas, in which the American failed lost faith in Carter, was the Watergate Scandal.

Nixon was behind the Watergate Scandal. In relation to his reelection campaign, people were caught wiretapping phones and taking important document pieces. Although Nixon attempted to hide this, he ended up being exposed among the American people. As a result, this shattered people's trust, and their view of American politics and how they can trust the government, was challenged beyond anything that had experienced before. However; I would argue that Watergate was part of a larger pattern among the U.S. at the time: political tensions that had boiled over the surface. Watergate merely exposed the tensions that were taking place.

As stated in "Watergate Scandal", "The origins of the Watergate break-in lay in the hostile political climate of the time. By 1972, when Republican President Richard M. Nixon was running for reelection, the United States was embroiled in the Vietnam War, and the country was deeply divided" (p.1). In other words, political tensions, along with the Vietnam war, followed by the Watergate Scandal, demonstrate that political tensions can eventually boil to the surface, exposing the deep rooted issues of America. Next, it is important to talk about Carter's "Crisis of Confidence".

In Carter's Crisis on Confidence, it is argued that the biggest crisis facing the country, is that the president is not managing the government, rather than taking charge of the nation. In other words, the president is said to have focused so much on what the government needs, that the individuals needs of the people have been forgotten about. As stated in "Crisis in Confidence", "This from a southern governor: "Mr. President, you are not leading this nation -- you're just managing the government." "You don't see the people enough any more." "Some of your Cabinet members don't seem loyal. There is not enough discipline among your disciples."

"Don't talk to us about politics or the mechanics of government, but about an understanding of our common good." (p.1).

In other words, the president forgot about the common good, forgetting about the people, as well as forgetting that if he leads, the people will follow. This is also evident, in some of the Cabinet members that that have started to lost their loyalty/faith as well. Now; as for the speech itself, I would say that it is optimistic, but it is also very truthful as well. The president gives hope for change in more efficient leadership aspects and structure, but he does not shy away, from the fact that he is responsible for the failures. This shows that the president has a clear understanding, that in order for true change to take place, one must admit their failures.

One of the most evident lines of this, is as follows. As stated in "Crisis in Confidence", "The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America" (p.1). It is here, that the president acknowledges that while it is not too late for change (which will require him to act), the continual erosion of confidence, will keep being America's downfall, unless swift and efficient action is taken. Carter knows there needs to be change but also recognizes where the biggest threat of failure, resides with.