Watergate: The Scandal That Changed U.S. Politics Forever Watergate is the biggest presidential scandal to date. It heavily changed the way a large majority of people view politics, it showed citizens how dirty and corrupt politics can be. The name, Watergate, has become synonymous with political scandals and corruption and that's why I think it is important for new American citizens to learn about it. Watergate occurred more than 40 years ago, yet it's effects are still being felt. From 1972 to 1974, the U.S. was thrown into a web of political scandals, with Nixon right in the middle. This scandal turned America's sense of happy skepticism into a sense of fear and constant suspicious of any politician. On June 17th, 1972, five men were …show more content…
One tape include a mysterious 18-minute gap. In April 1974, the White House released more than 1,200 pages of edited transcripts of the tapes. But still refused to turn over the actual tapes, citing “executive privilege.” Which gives the president and others in the executive branch of the U.S. Government the privilege to withhold information from Congress, the courts, and the public. Finally, on July 24, 1974, the US Supreme Court ordered the White House to release the taped Oval Offices conversations. Nixon cooperated, he released the tapes, including the “Smoking gun” tape, which revealed he tried to use the CIA to block the FBI investigation of the burglary. This directly connected Nixon to the burglary, a fact he would have probably denied ‘til his death if he could’ve. His support in Congress disappeared, the House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment against him. But, Nixon wasn’t going to be impeached, instead, he resigned on August 9th of 1974. Without admitting any …show more content…
It is an event that tarnished the reputation of Nixon and all future presidents. This proved to America that no matter what your position is, whether you’re the lowest of the low or one the most powerful people in America, you are not infallible. It is very easy to put your blind trust in someone you’ve never meet or even seen person just because you agree with them on their policies and stances, but that never lead to anything beneficial. This is important for new Americans to learn because it will show them to have a healthy sense of skepticism when it to the political system and