Lecture Notes: Nixon's Presidency and the Watergate Scandal

Introduction to Nixon's Presidency

• Election in 1968: President Richard Nixon claimed to represent the 'silent majority'.
• Conservative Shift: Nixon reversed trends in reform, establishing a conservative mindset that continues today.

Nixon's Achievements

Foreign Policy

• Vietnam War: Issues with withdrawal but successes like the Paris Peace Accords.
• Detente: Successful easing of hostility with the Soviet Union.
• Opening of China: Major diplomatic success.

Domestic Policy

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Created in response to pollution problems; controversial due to regulation.
  • Example: Pollution issues in NYC, Cuyahoga River fire.

1972 Re-election and the Watergate Scandal

Re-election

• Nixon re-elected in a landslide, winning the popular vote by 60%.

Watergate Scandal

• Break-in at Watergate Hotel: Five men ordered by Nixon’s re-election committee (CREEP) to wiretap Democratic HQ.
  • Failures: Discovered due to duct tape on door, lookout distracted by TV.
  • Arrests made, ties back to CREEP discovered.

Nixon’s Involvement

• No prior knowledge of break-in but tried to cover up the scandal.
• Attempted obstruction of justice by influencing FBI and CIA.
• All conversations recorded due to a system set by previous President Lyndon Johnson.
• Evidence showed Nixon’s involvement in cover-up, leading to loss of support.

Journalistic Investigation

• Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post played significant roles in exposing the scandal.
• The scandal led to the appointment and firing of special prosecutors.

Saturday Night Massacre

• Nixon ordered firing of special prosecutor leading to resignations in the Justice Department.
• Loss of public support due to perceived guilt.

Tapes and Evidence

• Tapes recorded in Nixon’s office revealed evidence of his involvement.
• Supreme Court ordered release; edited tapes with missing segments raised suspicion.

Nixon’s Resignation

• Facing impeachment, Nixon resigned on August 1974.
• His Vice President, Spiro Agnew, had resigned earlier for separate corruption charges.
• Gerald Ford: Appointed as Vice President, becomes President post-Nixon's resignation.

Impact of the Watergate Scandal

• Public Trust: Severe erosion in public trust in the government.
• Political Scandals: Set precedent for naming political scandals with '-gate'.

Conclusion

• The Watergate scandal remains a significant event impacting American political trust and setting the tone for subsequent political scandals.
• Upcoming discussion on the administrations of Ford, Carter, and Reagan.