Five men were accused of working for President Nixon in attempting to enter the Democratic Party headquarters and steal his presidential campaign funds. This was to prevent him from being impeached. Watergate was finally solved. It had both long-term, and short-term consequences that changed American historical records. Nixon’s actions influenced the perception of American officials. This gave future presidents a bad name and led to distrust in government. Watergate was a scandal that exposed how corrupt American government was. Many Americans agreed that reforms needed to stop another scandal from occurring after the Watergate scandal severely damaged America’s political systems. Many of the Watergate effects had a significant impact on civilian perceptions of American leaders. They prevented the president’s abuse of power, manipulation and lack of trust among political leaders.
Many citizens believed that there needed to be many reforms after Richard Nixon, the President of the United States, resigned in 1974. These laws were implemented by Congress, but corruption continues to be a daily occurrence. Nixon escalated conflict in other countries during the Vietnam War, such as Laos or Cambodia, in the 1970s. Congress became aware of Nixon’s abuse of power and passed the War Powers Act of 1972, which prevented the president sending troops to other countries without Congress’ approval. The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974 was established by the United States government to limit presidential campaign spending and make all funding public. It all goes back to the 1950s, when a plethora illegal FBI and CIA activities was discovered. The congress created permanent committees that would monitor various agencies. Many agencies were being corrupted and the government sought to reform them. In 1975, congress passed Hughes-Ryan Amendment. This amendment required the president to agree to secret information being shared by Congress. One temporary effect eventually caused congress and CIA to cease all association. Congress also established additional reforms to improve America’s politics and help prevent another Watergate crisis. The Ethnics in Government Act required that executive and judicial branches officials disclose their financial and employment histories. These officials were prohibited from moving into the private sector or using their political skills to their advantage. Every accusation made against a head of the Department of Justice had to be reported within 90 days by three judges. Many people started to trust government’s total reforms and this was the period that Ronald Reagan was elected as president. Congress was uncertain about the extension of the Ethnics in Government Act. Reagan signed the act on December 15th to make his “appearance in justice” and enhance his presidency’s reputation. Reagan extended his law and Michael Deaver was arrested. Deaver was a former White House worker. This was significant as Deaver was close to Reagan’s family. It also shows how corrupt the government is. These issues eventually had a profound effect on American citizens. It was especially important because Reagan’s family was close to Deaver. Both the Republican-Democratic parties suffered both short-term effects and long-term consequences. Many politicians, including Democrats in the 1970s, used Watergate to their advantage and damaged the reputations of Republican politicians. While some Republicans attempted to reshape certain issues that they had left, many Democrats tried to undermine Republicans’ standing and oppress them in the short-term. Samuel J. Erwin, a Democrat, was one of many who attempted to expose Watergate’s conspirators. Erwin investigated John Dead (White House counsel), who admitted to plotting harassment against “enemies” via tax audits, and various other illegal methods to cover Nixon’s Watergate scam scheme. Dean also confessed that the White House was trying cover up its wrongdoing. This was later confirmed by conversations with tape recordings in the Oval Office. Cox and Erwin wanted to hear the tapes about Watergate. Nixon declined. The Supreme Court finally released the tapes due to executive privilege. The Watergate scandal prompted the Democratic Party to support American citizens. Over 70 new members of Congress were elected to aid in the reshaping of society. Additionally, congress members tried to impeach Nixon because of his actions. But, Nixon decided to leave to preserve his reputation, and to avoid embarrassment. The mistrust in Nixon’s political system and the broken system it left behind had a lasting effect on future presidential elections. Many Americans voted in 1976, but were reluctant to do so because they didn’t want an honest leader. Jimmy Carter, however, stressed his faith and distain from Washington. Carter used Ford’s failures in fixing the country’s economy to his advantage, winning over blacks, organized labours and whites that had previously voted for Nixon. For a few years the Democratic Party was victorious, but 1980 marked a pivotal moment when the Republican party took power again. Reagan used Christianity, like Carter, as a key role in his campaign. The Watergate scandal was a real blow to the Republican Party, but they managed to overcome it and become the dominant party. The government would have learned its lesson from the Watergate scandal if it weren’t for Nixon’s corrupt system and government’s failings.
Watergate created a bad reputation that caused trust to decline. William Safire used suffix gate to refer to all the scandals which had damaged the United States. This was one of America’s most lasting effects. Watergate, Debatagate, and others are examples. Many Nixon associates tried fleeing and hiding when the Watergate incident occurred. Washington Post journalists set out to uncover the truth and provide information to the public. The scandal made civilians feel that Nixon and his successors were abusing power. This made them doubtful of anyone in government. Reagan’s presidency was marked by the Iran Contra Scandal. In secret, it arranged for weapons sales to Iran or Iraq. The Reagan administration was charged with a number of offenses for violating the ban on military assistance to the Contra. This scandal served as a reminder that people cannot trust the political system and was not overthrown.
