Changes

Ford was the target of two unsuccessful assassination attempts. One in Sacramento, California on September 5, 1975 was attempted by Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme. Then in San Francisco, Sara Jane Moore pointed a pistol at him, but a bystander grabbed the gun.<ref> Both were sentenced to life in prison, but Moore was paroled on December 31, 2007. [http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local&id=4900159 report</ref>

Ford was the target of two unsuccessful assassination attempts. One in Sacramento, California on September 5, 1975 was attempted by Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme. Then in San Francisco, Sara Jane Moore pointed a pistol at him, but a bystander grabbed the gun.<ref> Both were sentenced to life in prison, but Moore was paroled on December 31, 2007. [http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local&id=4900159 report</ref>

===Economy===

===Economy===

Ford's vision for America were grounded in conservative principles that emphasized fiscal responsibility, decreased federal involvement in the economy, lower taxes, and long-term sustainable growth with low inflation. Rampant inflation was the economic terror of the 1970s, and its reduction was Ford's overriding domestic priority. But growth rates were also low--the combination was new and unexpected and was called "stagflation."  Mus of the problem came from international economic trends, as oil prices skyrocketed and Japanese and German imports for the first time became major threats to American factories.  

[[Image:Ford1976.JPG|right|thumb|250px|President Ford at work in the Oval Office, 08/12/76]] Ford's vision for America were grounded in conservative principles that emphasized fiscal responsibility, decreased federal involvement in the economy, lower taxes, and long-term sustainable growth with low inflation. Rampant inflation was the economic terror of the 1970s, and its reduction was Ford's overriding domestic priority. But growth rates were also low--the combination was new and unexpected and was called "stagflation."  Mus of the problem came from international economic trends, as oil prices skyrocketed and Japanese and German imports for the first time became major threats to American factories.  

Ford's favored means for combating inflation was the conservative stand-by: a combination of fiscal austerity and a tight federal monetary policy. He attacked the heavily Democratic 94th Congress for wasteful spending, and 66 times wielded the presidential veto to kill costly congressional bills.  His refusal to help New York City's financial crisis was briefly popular in the hinterland.<ref>Yanek Mieczkowski, ''Gerald Ford And The Challenges Of The 1970s'' (2005).</ref>  

Ford's favored means for combating inflation was the conservative stand-by: a combination of fiscal austerity and a tight federal monetary policy. He attacked the heavily Democratic 94th Congress for wasteful spending, and 66 times wielded the presidential veto to kill costly congressional bills.  His refusal to help New York City's financial crisis was briefly popular in the hinterland.<ref>Yanek Mieczkowski, ''Gerald Ford And The Challenges Of The 1970s'' (2005).</ref>  

Ford nominated Circuit Judge [[John Paul Stevens]] as an Associate Justice of the [[Supreme Court]] in 1975 to replace Justice [[William O. Douglas]], who had recently retired. Stevens was unanimously confirmed in December. In nominating [[John Paul Stevens]], Ford chose someone he saw as a nonpolitical choice, someone he could allow independence from White House supervision, and someone who reflected a non-ideological, nonpartisan selection process, although Stevens over the years emerged as the most liberal justice, though less so than Douglas, who was one of the last new Dealers in power.<ref>David M. O'Brien, "The Politics of Professionalism: President Gerald R. Ford's Appointment of Justice John Paul Stevens." ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'' (1991) 21(1): 103-126. ISSN 0360-4918.</ref>  

Ford nominated Circuit Judge [[John Paul Stevens]] as an Associate Justice of the [[Supreme Court]] in 1975 to replace Justice [[William O. Douglas]], who had recently retired. Stevens was unanimously confirmed in December. In nominating [[John Paul Stevens]], Ford chose someone he saw as a nonpolitical choice, someone he could allow independence from White House supervision, and someone who reflected a non-ideological, nonpartisan selection process, although Stevens over the years emerged as the most liberal justice, though less so than Douglas, who was one of the last new Dealers in power.<ref>David M. O'Brien, "The Politics of Professionalism: President Gerald R. Ford's Appointment of Justice John Paul Stevens." ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'' (1991) 21(1): 103-126. ISSN 0360-4918.</ref>  

===Foreign policy===

===Foreign policy===

In foreign affairs, Ford preserved the détente forged by Nixon and Kissinger. The [[Helsinki Treaty]], ratifying the postwar borders in Europe and supposedly committing the Soviets to human rights, was signed in August 1975. Republican conservatives, led by [[Ronald Reagan]], bemoaned détente as another indicator of the slippage of American power and prestige, and laid plans to defeat Ford's bid for reelection.

[[Image:Ford1974.JPG|right|thumb|250px|President Ford and Soviet General Secretary Leonid I. Brezhnev sign a joint communique on the limitation of strategic offensive arms in the Conference Hall of the Okeansky Sanitarium, Vladivostok, USSR, 11/24/74]] In foreign affairs, Ford preserved the détente forged by Nixon and Kissinger. The [[Helsinki Treaty]], ratifying the postwar borders in Europe and supposedly committing the Soviets to human rights, was signed in August 1975. Republican conservatives, led by [[Ronald Reagan]], bemoaned détente as another indicator of the slippage of American power and prestige, and laid plans to defeat Ford's bid for reelection.

On November 23, 1974, President Ford and Soviet General Secretary [[Leonid Brezhnev]] reached an agreement by signing the SALT treaty, which froze the number of strategic ballistic missile launchers at existing levels.  

On November 23, 1974, President Ford and Soviet General Secretary [[Leonid Brezhnev]] reached an agreement by signing the SALT treaty, which froze the number of strategic ballistic missile launchers at existing levels.