Corruption During The Nixon Administration

Corruption has been in the government in many forms since our founding but not until the 70’s has such corruption unfolded before our very eyes. Public distresses that caused an uproar in the media such as Watergate or some of the scandalous accusations at president 42. Other forms of corruption have been seen in every presidency since the Nixon administration and probably in every presidency before. This brief paper intends to look at some of them, both the obvious and the not-so-well known.

Watergate shook the nation like no other scandal could. President Nixon was portrayed as a crook and I agree with that in some vacinity. He used the break-ins and the bugging of Democratic official’s offices to stay in power. Power, especially today in
This is especially true when comparing to Gorbachev of the USSR who was in many ways looking for a step ahead with the end of nuclear weapons and the advancement of soviet state socialism. Reagan was too caught up in plans to militarize space and destroy Walter Mondale in the presidential election of 1984 to realize what was right in front of him. While the economy faced no long term collapse during his administration, his economic theory did not benefit America in the long run. The Iran Contra dealings, in which the U.S helped far-right militants the “contras” overthrow their government. This caused him to leave office in sheer disgrace but still very popular with the general public. Corruption seethed in his presidency, not with money but with military neoconservatism, which ruined his presidency for the center and center-left (US
Most press coverage of his administration as well as his opponents statements on the administration were mostly negative. Some of this was deserved as Bill Clinton did have many flaws (with women and telling the truth about women) but these were family matters that should have never been brought to the public’s attention. The economy was back to work during his administration. He never made drastic foreign policy decisions and kept the US military out of major theater operations. He left office with a large peace domestic and abroad and is regarded by some as the greatest president of the post WWII era save for maybe IKE and Kennedy. His presidency did not go without it’s own flaws such as his own hawkish military budget, welfare reform, and bombings in the Middle East and northeast Africa, but because of a temporary economic peace, and in spite of the scandals that led to his impeachment, it is hard for many to hate this politically gifted