American Politics and Society in the 1970s

3 units

This course provides both a chronological and thematic approach to the history of 1970s America. Class time will focus on only a few of the most significant shifts in American politics, culture, and society. The course will encourage students to think more deeply about: the fate of liberalism in post-1960s America; the rise of ethnic identity and its impact on the rights revolution; gender and the politics of sexuality; religion and the rise of the South; Nixon and Watergate; Carter and political malaise; urban decay; environmentalism; and the United States' earliest encounters with terrorism.