Regulation was more of a concern for folks in the West because of the irrigation projects and access to public land. The cost and time spent by businesses led to calls for less government intervention. James Watt, a conservative westerner and Secretary of the Interior under Regan, argued that regulation would prevent the development of energy resources. He believed environmentalists were a small group of extremists that were single minded and did not really care about the environment. If they did, they would not delay or even put a stop to the energy and innovation that was occurring in the West. His concern was that if a major Middle East oil shortage were to occur, such as in 1973 and 1979, the East and Midwest of America would suck all the resources from the West, leaving them with nothing and therefore destroying their economy. Because of regulation in the West, the general recession and stagflation of the economy, and the failure of Democratic economic policies, Americans accepted conservative ideas and therefore the conservative base was able to …show more content…
From the beginning of his presidency, Carter planed to modify American foreign policy. Coming to office in the wake of the disappointment brought about by the Vietnam War, Watergate, and Church Committee Carter promised a new direction to American foreign policy by shaping it around the principles of human rights and neutrality. Carter stated, “We can no longer separate the traditional issues of war and peace from the new global questions of justice, equality, and human rights.” In 1978, Carter ended the government relationship with Argentina because of abuses committed under their dictatorship, but still supported American allies such as South Korea and Iran, which committed these very same injustices. Carter also made charges against Poland and the Soviet Union, which ignited communist underground resistance. At this time, the Iranian Crisis was brewing. Iran was an important supplier of oil and acquired American military equipment. Carter had a close relationship with the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and in 1977 he traveled there to celebrate his rule. In 1979, the Muslim Revolution, inspired by an exiled cleric Ayatollah Khomeini, overthrew Iran and resurrected an Islamic Republic. In November of that year, Carter allowed the then exiled Shah to receive medical treatment in the United States. Soon after, the cleric’s followers got wind and invaded the US embassy in Tehran. There, they captured