The Impact of Watergate Scandal on American Politics

Presidential and political scandals are mainly caused by lust and greed for power and sex. Obsession, mendacity, misplaced loyalty moral bankruptcy and naivete also contributes to these scandals. The impacts of any scandal are  profound, transient of lasting. Political or presidential scandals usually results are usually destructive, and in most instances, perpetrators do not get persecuted for their actions. In the history of America, there have been numerous scandals such as the Watergate, teapot dome, whiskey ring among others (Olson and Keith 2016). 

The water gate scandal are one of the most famous scandal in the history of American politics. It is the first and only scandal which have made an American president resign. President Richard Nixon was forced to leave the white house after a tape recording confirming his involvement In burglary that had happened in the headquarters of national democratic committees in the Washington DS in 1972, July 17th. It was during the period when President Nixon was campaigning for reelection when some members of the Republican party arranged to break into the headquarters to ensure that he was reelected, but they were caught the second time. The five criminals were later arrested and charged, but Nixon was pardoned by President Gerald Ford who was his successor( Bump and Philip 2017)

The water gate scandal caused a lasting effect to the American politics as the president had abused the power given to him by his people thus resulting in an atmosphere of distrust and cynicism. This scandal also happened at a time when most Americans were disappointed by the assassination of their leaders such as Martin Luther King this leading to further frustrations in the political system. The best thing and one of the important lesson which the Americans learned from the Watergate scandal and still have an impact to date were that they should not be too trusting to the authority. They should question the authority and be more skeptical as well (Schudson 2004. P1231-1238)

Works cited

Olson, Keith W. Watergate: the presidential scandal that shook America. University Press of Kansas, 2016.

Schudson, Michael. “Notes on scandal and the Watergate legacy.” American Behavioral Scientist 47.9 (2004): 1231-1238.

Bump, Philip. “How America viewed the Watergate scandal, as it was unfolding.” The Washington Post 15 (2017).