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This reference provides background information about the Watergate crisis and discusses its significance to U.S. politics today. Relatively insignificant at first glance, the Watergate crisis led to the downfall of a president and emerged as the most important constitutional crisis since the Civil War. Journalists and the media were instrumental in shedding light on Watergate and exposing political corruption at the highest levels of government. Watergate became part of American popular culture and synonymous with presidential corruption. This book surveys the background of the Watergate crisis and links it to contemporary American politics.The first part of the book provides a narrative overview and examination of the Watergate crisis, with a consideration of what happened and why, and the relevance of Watergate to today''s political issues. The book considers such topics as political corruption and impeachment, the role of the media, and the abuse of presidential power. The book also offers biographical sketches of key players in the Watergate crisis, a chronology, glossary, primary source document excerpts, and an annotated bibliography.>
List of contents
List of Illustrations
Series Foreword
Preface
Key Players in the Watergate Crisis
Historical Overview
Chronology
Chapter 1. What Manner of Man? Watergate and the Development of Nixon's Political Personality
Chapter 2. Is the President above the Law?
Chapter 3. Presidential Corruption: A Comparison
Chapter 4. Nixon and the Media
Chapter 5. The Lessons of Impeachment
Chapter 6. Dealing with a Poisonous President: Impeachment, the 25th Amendment, and Censure
Conclusion: The Watergate Legacy
Biographical EssaysSpiro T. Agnew (1918-1996)
Charles W. Colson (1931-2012)
Archibald Cox (1938-2004)
John W. Dean (1938-)
John D. Ehrlichman (1925-1999)
Sam J. Ervin (1896-1985)
Gerald R. Ford (1913-2006)
Alexander M. Haig (1924-2010)
H. R. "Bob" Haldeman (1926-1994)
Leon Jaworski (1905-1982)
G. Gordon Liddy (1930-2010)
Jeb Stuart Magruder (1934-2014)
John N. Mitchell (1913-1988)
Richard M. Nixon (1913-1994)
Elliot L. Richardson (1920-1999)
John Sirica (1904-1992)
Robert Woodward (1943-) and Carl Bernstein (1944-)
Primary Documents1. John Dean, "Dealing with Enemies" Memorandum (1971)
2. Chuck Colson, "The Enemies List" Memorandum (1971)
3. Richard Nixon and H.R. Haldeman, The "Smoking Gun" Tape (1972)
4. Richard Nixon and H.R. Haldeman, Cover-Up Follow-Up (1972)
5. Richard Nixon and H.R. Haldeman, Obstruction of Justice (1972)
6. Richard Nixon and John Dean, "Hush Money" Conversation (1973)
7. United States v. Nixon (1974)
8. The Committee on the Judiciary, Impeachment Resolutions (1974)
9. Richard Nixon, Statement upon the Release of the Tapes (1974)
10. Richard Nixon, Public Statement of Resignation (1974)
11. Richard Nixon, Letter of Resignation (1974)
12. Gerald Ford, Speech Pardoning Richard Nixon (1974)
13. The White House Tapes (1997)
Glossary
Annotated Bibliography
Index
About the author
Michael A. Genovese is Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Institute for Leadership Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is the author of The Nixon Presidency: Power and Politics in Turbulent Times (Greenwood, 1990) and Women as National Leaders (1993), among a score of other works on the presidency.
