Final answer:
Richard Nixon's domestic policy on Civil Rights involved efforts to slow progress, such as opposing busing and supporting Mississippi's bid to slow school desegregation. However, he did expand affirmative action. His Southern Strategy aimed to gain electoral success by appealing to states' rights and law and order.
Step-by-step explanation:
As part of his domestic policy on Civil Rights, Richard Nixon pursued a course that was often seen as a deliberate neglect of the civil rights movement. His administration backed Mississippi in its attempt to slow school desegregation and opposed busing as a means to achieve racial desegregation. Despite this, Nixon expanded affirmative action, which provided more employment and educational opportunities for racial minorities.
Nixon's political strategy included what was known as the Southern Strategy, which targeted Southern states for electoral success by appealing to the anxieties of voters regarding civil rights, among other issues. This was done by aligning against policies such as busing and affirmative action that were associated with the civil rights movement, securing his victory in Southern states and marking a significant political realignment. Although Nixon did show occasional support for civil rights, his overall policy slowed the progress of civil rights, especially in the volatile political climate of the 1970s where there was a fear of social change among many white voters.
In the context of Nixon's larger domestic and foreign policy endeavors, he offered a platform that promised economic opportunities, state empowerment, and law and order, which resonated with a significant portion of the American electorate troubled by the pace of social change.