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Republican Richard Nixon was elected to the presidency of the United States in 1968 when he defeated his Democratic opponent Hubert Humphrey. With a reelection attempt approaching in 1972, Nixon and a number of his aides began a secret campaign of slander and deceit against the Democratic Party. This campaign was a result of paranoia on the part of Nixon administration with regard to losing the 1972 election.
The most famous of these acts was the attempt to plant surveillance devices in the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee located in the Watergate Building in Washington DC. The “burglars” involved in the break in were caught and all federal officials, including Nixon, denied and attempted to cover up any involvement.
While most of the country would never have implicated Nixon’s administration and party in the break in, two junior reporters for the Washington Post, one of the most read newspapers in the country at the time, went after these men.
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were the two Washington Post reporters. With the help of the Washington Post’s Editor in Chief Ben Bradlee and an anonymous White House source known only as “Deep Throat” Woodward and Bernstein investigated the burglary and began the process, which was completed by the US Congress, of exposing Nixon and his associates.
When all was said and done, 30 of Nixon’s closest advisors, including two former attorney generals, were convicted of crimes stemming from Watergate and other illegal activity. Of the individuals convicted, nearly half served jail sentences. Richard Nixon resigned following a suggestion by the US House of Representatives to impeach him on three counts. Gerald Ford, Nixon’s Vice President, became president following Nixon’s resignation. Ford promptly used his power of Presidential powers to pardon Nixon of all wrongdoing.
How did President Nixon and his associates violate the United State’s system of democracy? Do presidents and other federal officials have a responsibility to uphold our country’s democratic values? Why? Do Woodward and Bernstein do the right thing in working to expose and eventually contributing to the resignation of a US President? Why? Do our country’s media have any responsibility to inform the American people of the misdoings of their government officials? Why? Should a President be able to be impeached for an offense that an ordinary citizen cannot be arrested for?
