How Did Richard Nixon Gain Power In Government

Thanks to his previous domestic policies and foreign policy successes, Richard Nixon won a landslide victory in the presidential election 1972. Viewing difference of opinion and critic as a threat to national security, Nixon “developed an ‘enemies list’ that included reporters, politicians, and celebrities unfriendly to the administration.” (1) In June 1972, five men, who were later proved to be former employees of Nixon’s reelection committee, were caught for breaking into Democratic party headquarters in the Watergate apartment complex in Washington, D.C. Initially promoted by the media, political investigations of the Watergate began in 1973 as a Committee was established by the Senate. While it’s uncertain whether or not Nixon knew about

“The Committee uncovered the existence of the secret White House tape recordings, sparking a major political and legal battle between the Congress and the President.” (3) One was known as the “smoking gun” tape, which revealed Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate cover-up from June 23, 1972, only a few days after the Watergate break-in. (4) Nixon soon lost all his political support, facing impeachment from the House Judiciary Committee. In August 1974, Nixon resigned from office, becoming the only U.S. president in history to

During the post-9/11 period, the government passed policies against foreigners, especially those who had connections with Arab, to secure the nation from terrorism. The abuse of power is more likely to be accepted when it comes with a “reasonable explanation.” On the other hand, when Nixon used the government power to cover the truth of Watergate, his action was no different than corruption, therefore not being recognized by the public. Moreover, the impact of the Watergate Scandal was deep and enduring- it stated the necessity of openness and honesty in