If you had been a voter at the time of Nixon's impeachment and resignation, how would the Watergate scandal ha

Question

If you had been a voter at the time of Nixon's impeachment and resignation, how would the Watergate scandal have affected your perception of government power? Do you think the Watergate scandal has had an enduring effect on the public's perception of government power today or not? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

No. Unfortunately, people have forgotten the scandal. Those old enough to remember it well are now seniors. I wish it did have more impact on voters today, but it doesn't. We need honesty in government. That is the one thing we needed to learn from Watergate.

Answer 2

Of course it has an enduring effect (Not a voter at the time but old enough to remember and far from a senior :) )

DesertVision is right - it is truly remarkable and maybe unprecedented about how the transition of power took place at that time. It is a testament to the strength of our people and our Constitution.

I don't think it is possible to understate how remarkable this event was in that regard, and also the orderly transition after the disputed 2000 election. Truly historic and great for the country - not that the leaders that followed were great, but that
the display of strength of Union is great.

Look at the shenanigans happening in Russia now, where an elected President is nearing the end of his 8 year maximum term, but is maybe not ready to step down and let someone else lead and exercise the power to which he has become accustomed and maybe feeling entitled to.

Perhaps the most direct effect of Nixon's policies is the all volunteer Army we have now, rather then kids being drafted. For better or worse, I think that was a savvy decision that is now preventing the kind of outrage at our current wars on the home front that we saw during the Nixon era.

Answer 3

I was a voter during that scandal and it had a huge effect on the public perception of politics and politicians.

We had been losing our innocence slowly but surely since JFK, RFK, and ML King had been assassinated. Then our leaders finally admitted that all was lost in Vietnam and had been for years.

The scandals of Nixon were the last straw.

I think that skepticism about government has stayed with us. However, those YOUNGER than us have not learned these lessons and that is part of why Bush was able to steal two elections, deceive us into Iraq, and get away with lots of lies.

That's also part of the reason why those under age 30 are not spending a lot of time protesting this administration. Either they feel helpless or they think everything is OK----I can't tell which.

Those of us who remember Nixon are among those who are the most active in writing to our congresspeople and protesting the actions of this admin.

We remember.

Answer 4

I was a voter at the time of President Nixons' resignation. I was also a holder of a Navy commission first granted to me by President Nixon. That event did not change my view of governmental power. He was succeeded by a man who had never gotten one electoral vote for either President or Vice President, having been the first Vice President to be chosen for that office under the terms of the 25 amendment to the Constitution. In the wake of the resignation, no troops poured out of barracks to take up defenses on the streets. No government offices were seized by any of those troops. The event proved that the Constitution worked.
BTW, President Nixon wasn't impeached. The House Judiciary Committee, under the chairmanship of Congressman Peter Rodino of New Jersey, voted to bring articles of impeachment to the entire House for its consideration. President Nixon resigned before the House could vote on those recommendations. Only two Presidents in our history have been impeached: Andrew Johnson and William Jefferson Clinton. Both were tried by the Senate and both were allowed to continue in office.

Answer 5

Nixon was NOT impeached. So lets get that straight right now. He resigned. Personally the Watergate scandal did not bother me. I think the only mistake that was made was that he got caught. What damage did occur was that people were affected and they let that emotion elect a total incompetent boob (yes, that would be Jimmy Carter), who actually made us long for the days of Watergate again.

Answer 6

Not even similar. Watergate was a botched fake burgulary in order to plant illegal listening devices into Democrat Party Headquarters. AP phone lines and phone records were subpeonead using perfectly legal FISA warrants in order to find out where and by whom national security information was leaked. So why Republicans are you upset about FISA warrants being used now when after 911 the same type of FISA warrants were used by the Bush Jr administration on a daily basis and yet we heard not a word from you then?

Answer 7

Nixon was caught obstructing justice and participating in cover ups of felonies. The people who insist that he didn't do anything wrong don't know their history. The only reason he wasn't impeached was because he resigned before the vote on the articles of impeachment took place in the house. A group of republican representatives went to the white house and told Nixon that the articles would pass and that he most likely would be convicted in a senate trial.

Answer 8

I was a voter then and moral bankruptcy of that administration was shocking. I suggest you look for transcripts of some of the white house tapes that were made public at the time of the trial (hearing). The abuse of power was shocking. Nixon and Kissinger discusiing how they prolonged the Vietnam War for Polictical gain was one of the more shocking revelations. The use of Justice Department resources to blackmail and frighten political opponents was another. Does this sound familiar? We do not seem to learn.

Answer 9

I remember my parents were really shook up by the entire thing. And because of what I was taught in school about it (I was in elementary school) I never trusted a politicians again. I think that is why when the Iran-Contra thing went down people really didn't care and is probably why most people don't care whether the US is right or wrong in regard to Iraq or Iran now.

Answer 10

I was a voter during the Watergate scandal and it reinforced my opinion that politicians are the scum of the earth. They walk around and spout all these goody-goody caring comments and then are bought by those who donate big money as campaign contributions.