Who Is Richard Nixon A Transactional Leader

Policies and Leadership During the Nixon Administration in United States Richard Milhous Nixon was a political leader who became the 37th President of the United States. Nixon became president of the United States in 1969 and was reelected in the 1972 presidential election but resigned due to the Watergate scandal. According to Kolodziej (1976), his signature policy was primarily foreign policy, resulting in the United States controlling international crises and contributing significantly to the security sector. Also, his strong-willed and dynamic personality (Kruse et al., 2024) and his political policy symbolized by the catchphrase "law and order" indicate that he is a transactional leader. This report analyzes Nixon as a political leader

First, Nixon promoted improved relations with China, with whom he had been at odds during the Cold War. He surprised the world when he visited China in 1972 and shook hands with Mao Zedong in a historic handshake. This event, known as the "Nixon Shock," marked a major turning point in U.S.-China relations. His achievement also influenced the policies of subsequent presidents. It is said that “President Ford's decision to visit mainland China next year firmly signifies his intention to follow in Richard M. Nixon's foreign policy footsteps” (Cannon, 1974, para 1). Then, actually, President Ford visited China in 1975 and met with Deng Xiaoping and other Chinese leaders to further strengthen U.S.-China relations. As a result, in 1979, under the administration of President Carter, normalization of relations between the U.S. and China was achieved. Furthermore, Nixon was also active in the policy of easing tensions with the Soviet Union. His Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I) with the Soviet Union were an important step toward nuclear

It is one of the characteristics of transactional leaders to present clear goals to their subordinates and to monitor their performance. Moreover, Nixon adopted the slogan of "law and order" in his presidential campaign. In fact, his demand for results on environmental and civil rights issues through strict law enforcement and regulation after he took the presidency, and his proposal for a new federalism that would delegate social welfare administration to the localities, are indications that he himself was a character that emphasized rules and discipline. His achievements in foreign policy are probably the result of his ability to make strategic and dispassionate analyses in order to achieve his goals. Also, according to Gellman(2017), “he was remarkable among his congressional peers, a success story in a troubled era, one who steered a sensible anti-Communist course against the excess of McCarthy and other extreme right-wingers”. This shows his willingness to look beyond individual interests and ideologies to find comprehensive solutions and put the interests of the organization as a whole first as transactional