The Effects Of The Watergate Scandal

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After successfully ending American fighting in Vietnam and improving international relations with the U.S.S.R. and China, Richard Nixon became the only President to ever resign the office, as a result of the Watergate scandal. Hubris has come to refer to recklessness and overconfidence among those who wield power in financial or political fields- particularly when it leads to disastrous errors of judgement. The word Watergate has entered the political dictionary as a term synonymous with corruption and scandal as a result of the overwhelming pride, or hubris, of President Richard Nixon, who engulfed himself in his own omnipotence.
“Watergate” is a general term used to describe a complex web of political scandals between 1972 and 1974. Underlying …show more content…

The fact that the suffix "-gate" became shorthand for any scandal involving deception at high levels of power is one of many signs that Watergate greatly impacted America. Ronald Reagan's Iran-gate, Bill Clinton's Monica-gate and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's bridge-gate are just a few examples. As a result of the Watergate scandal, the Republican party as a whole was severely damaged; the American people lost all trust for Republicans. Therefore, the Democrats were able to gain many more seats in the House and the Senate. Watergate truly fostered a skeptical attitude towards politicians and the presidency. Now-more than 40 years later-with a nation of reporters focused on President Trump, the parallels of the Trump and Nixon administrations seem to resonate with that of the American people: the appointment of a special prosecutor, the firing of top officials, the talk of obstruction of justice, even speculation about possible impeachment. Watergate encapsulated many of the issues in the United States at the time. It reflected the corruption at the heart of American government and corroded public confidence in the integrity of United States political system. Even three decades later, most would agree Watergate's imprint remains on the press, politics and the presidency-even for those too young to have lived through

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