1. Why was the scandal called Watergate?
The scandal was named "Watergate" because it all started at the Watergate Hotel. The Republican presidential candidate had his home base at Watergate Hotel. Several people snuck in to bug the place after their first attempt had been faulty and unsuccessful.
2. What precipitated the scandal? How did it end?
I believe that the burglars getting caught at Watergate by the janitor precipitated the scandal. It ended with Ford not getting re-elected.
3. Who broke the story to the American public?
Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward were the journalists who covered the scandal for the Washington Post. The Associate Director for the FBI, Mark Felt, was the one who gave them information secretly. Felt went by the alias "Deep Throat".
4. What evidence existed that Nixon was guilty? What was the most incriminating aspect of the White House tapes?
The strongest piece of evidence against Nixon was the 47 tapes he himself had of all his conversations. The most incriminating aspect of the tapes was that he refused to release them which made him appear more guilty to the American public. If he had released the tapes, assuming there was no incriminating evidence, the American public would have been okay with him recording his conversations. However, he lied to the citizens of the United States and tried to unsuccessfully cover it up.
5. What is "Executive Privilege"?
Executive Privilege is when the President can go against the government (within reason) because he is the President of the United States. During the Watergate scandal, President Nixon refused to release the White House tapes using "Executive Privilege" as his reasoning. Congress later forced Nixon to show the tapes and he was forced to resign or risk being impeached.
No comments:
Post a Comment