The Impact of the Watergate Scandal - 1366 Words

Everyday citizens often live unaware of their government’s inner workings. The knowing of political espionage is often too heavy of a subject to be inducted in conversation. True, prima facie, modest twists and turns of information may not be considered substantial, but this inconsideration leaves much to be uncontrolled. It is easy for political leaders to become power crazed, to not realize the massive implications that come of their actions. Only after all is said and done do the people actually realize their government is an opaque mask of deception. The Watergate Scandal substantially impacted Americans’ trust in their government. The years leading up to the 1972 election were filled with new political tactics. Going into the†¦show more content†¦Edgar Hoover, leader of the FBI. (Emery 10). These two men were responsible for payouts, operation and oversight of all members involved in Gemstone, which included the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The CIA had been banned from spying operations since 1947, but it repeatedly broke the National Security Law to cooperate with Gemstone, fully to Nixon’s knowledge (Emery 22). Hoover attempted to stop the spying in 1972, but it had gone too far (Emery 21). Nixon had won the election, but operations in Gemstone did not stop. However, June of 1972 brought a swift halt to the untapped power of surveillance. On June 17th, 1972 five men were arrested at the Watergate Complex break-in: James McCord, Frank Sturgis, Bernard Baker, Virgilo Gonzales, and Eugino Martinez (Mary 1). The perfect loop of lies and spying had been br oken. While only the beginning, Nixon’s demise started with the arrest of five men. Once broken, the seal of Watergate could never be replaced. The five men brought arrested for breaking into the Watergate Complex had to be served fair justice. The official hearings began on January 8th, 1973 (Files 1). However, fair trials would not prevail. Edward B. Hunt ordered the payout of twenty thousand dollars to each member of the break-in team, fifty thousand for his lawyer, and seventy thousand dollars for himself (Files 6). The â€Å"hush money† proved successful. All four Cuban men pledShow MoreRelatedEssay on All the Presidents Men - The Watergate Scandal822 Words   |  4 Pagesbook discussed what happened to President Nixon in the Watergate Scandal from Bernstein and Woodwards point of view. The Watergate Scandal was a significant part of presidential history. This even would result in Nixons resignation and what would have been his guaranteed impeachment. The Watergate Scandal took an impact on politics as a whole. Politicians are known as liars and people who keep secrets from the public. The Watergate Scandal is something Nixon can never make up for, but will alwaysRead More06.07 Dissilusionment Essay930 Words   |  4 PagesQuestion: Explain how events such as the Vietnam War and Watergate affected the American public’s opinion of the U.S government. Part I: Read the question above and write down what you think the question is asking in your own words. I think that this question is asking for the American public perception of the US government and their elected officials during both of these events. Both the Vietnam War and Watergate events had big impacts on American society. For example, the Vietnam War was theRead MoreWatergate740 Words   |  3 PagesWatergate Lucia San Nicolas HIS/145 October 19, 2011 Marciano Flores Watergate The Watergate scandal shocked millions of Americans when it was revealed in 1972. The president at that time was Richard M. Nixon, who himself was involved within the scandal. 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It all takes place at the Watergate Hotel. He led an extremely corrupt administration to get him re elected. He also was the first President to resign. The unethical organization that was formed was called the CRP (later creep). They helped Nixon get re elected in 1972. They used illegal tactics to get him re elected. They paid lawyers for the burglars whoRead MoreThe Watergate Scandal Essay1367 Words   |  6 PagesWhile the effects of Watergate had far-reaching consequences for journalism, not everything to come out of the scandal came to be positive. As a result of the Watergate scandal many journalists try to find a Watergate like story even where there is none, Monicagate is a perfect example. In addition, many critics of the media argue si nce Watergate many people have become disenfranchised with Medias constant negativity. Another result of Watergate is the use of the media as a tool for politicalRead MoreCtu History 101 Ip31029 Words   |  5 Pagesand the Watergate scandal. The first article is â€Å"The Washington Post Editorial Watergate: The unfinished business.† The other article that I will be discussing and comparing is one written by Dean Burch. â€Å"In Defense of Richard Nixon.† I will provide a brief summary of the two arguments as well as describe how the Watergate events changed American views in politics and politicians. I will also speculate how the events could have been different if the media and population during the Watergate scandalRead MoreWatergate : A Decade Of Corruption, Lies, And Shadiness1224 Words   |  5 Pageshis reelection team put forth an aggressive campaign (History.com Staff). The Watergate Scandal increased public distrust of United States Government, therefor e creating new acts to disclose government information and closer scrutiny of government by the media. According to What Was Watergate?: A Young Reader s Guide to Understanding an Era, it was midnight on Saturday, June 17, 1972. A watchman at the Watergate hotel-apartment-office complex found tape over the lock on a basement door andRead MoreEssay on Watergate Scandal and President Nixon778 Words   |  4 Pagespresidents in the United States. He was mainly renowned for his huge role in the Watergate scandal. The Watergate scandal was important because Nixon and his cabinet arranged to get people to spy on the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate building. After it became clear Nixon was responsible, he manages to resign before he was going to be impeached. President Nixon was involved with the Watergate scandal and should be sentenced to jail because he organized it, which then got leaked outRead MoreNixon Vs. President Richard M. Nixon1304 Words   |  6 PagesNixon vs. People   Ã‚  Ã‚   President Richard M. Nixon once said, â€Å" I can see clearly now†¦ that I was wrong in not acting more decisively and more forthrightly in dealing with Watergate† (Watergate Quotes). The Watergate scandal began when five men attempted to break into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate Complex. The government had to create an act in order to have the right to view all surveillance footage from the headquarters. This break-in sparked more than enough