United States v. Nixon

In preparation for the Paper 1 test on Nixon and Watergate please read my webpage with more detailed information regarding the topic and answer the following questions using significant details (names, phrases, events, etc.) from the readings and your class notes.

The Cover-up

1. Regardless of the outcome, should the President of the United States have a right to privacy in regards to the Oval Office tapes? Explain.
I think that the President should have some privacy in regards to the Oval Office. I think it would be okay if he kept a journal about his thoughts, but taping conversations is different. Once the Supreme court told Nixon to turn over the tapes and he didn't, this was against the law since it was evidence for the crime at that point.


2. Was President Nixon justified when he fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox? Explain.
No, I do not think that Nixon was justified when he fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox because Cox didn't do anything wrong. When Cox asked for tapes from the White House (to support Dean's testimony that the White house was covering Watergate up), Nixon refused to give up the tapes but offered a summary of the tapes. Cox said this was not good enough. Nixon had no reason to fire Cox except that he was not happy with him as a special prosecutor.


3. Was Nixon creating a Constitutional crisis by refusing to hand-over the tapes? Explain.
Yes, I think Nixon was creating a Constitutional crisis by refusing to hand-over the tapes because he was claiming that he had "executive privilege" and was above the law. This was not right and he had no reason to think that he could get away with it just because he was the President.


Closure

4. Why do you think the American public was so outraged by Watergate?
I think that the American public was so outraged by Watergate because it showed that even the President of our country can be corrupt. It showed that the public doesn't know everything that goes on in the White House and that maybe they shouldn't trust that the president is doing everything so truthfully. The hearings were televised, showing the public all of the details about the Watergate cover-up. The public couldn't believe that they had elected and re-elected a president who thought that they were above the law.

5. Do you think President Nixon should have resigned? Explain.
Yes I do think he should have resigned because if they had to forcibly remove him from office it would have caused a bigger scene that what had already happened. He had already cause so much trouble and such a bad reputation that he should resign knowing that what he did was wrong and was no longer seen as a good president.

6. Do you think President Nixon should have been prosecuted? Explain.
I think that President Nixon should have been prosecuted because even though he was the president, he still committed a crime. If this break in or refusing of handing over tapes happened with anyone else in the country, they would have been prosecuted since it is against the law. Nixon was not above the law and should have been treated under the laws.