Reassessing the Nuclear Policies of the Nixon and Ford administrations (1969-1977)

Abstract

This article addresses the nuclear policy of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford administrations, through the analysis of secondary and primary documents on the major international and domestic factors that influenced it. It argues that the long-term guidelines of the American nuclear policy were, in fact, developed in this period, between 1969 and 1977. Those guidelines are divided into three main points. The first was plurilateralising the nuclear non-proliferation regime and restricting the supply of dual-use technology. This meant finding alternatives to multilateral institutions through bilateral disarmament negotiations with the URSS, and through the creation of plurilateral arrangements, such as the NSG.  The second point was sharing the control over the world order with regional powers, to create a balance of power favourable to the US. The last guideline was increasing the competitiveness of American companies through the privatisation of the nuclear sector. This last point was made feasible by the Ford administration, after the failure of Nixon’s legislation, and led to the establishment of a strong bureaucratic structure, capable of blocking drastic shifts in nuclear safety policy.