Consult a Minimum Academically Credible Sources. Bibliographies

consult a minimum academically credible sources. Bibliographies citations Chicago Manual Style format. The subject: How account Watergate scandal? What significance?.

The Watergate scandal is one of the most intriguing discussions in the history of the U.S. And it provided the whole world with the opportunity to see that corruption could reach unimaginable levels. President Richard Nixon's determination to win the 1972 presidential elections proved to be in disagreement with ethics and with the position that he wanted to keep. Nixon and his advisors practically chose the most effective way to gain an advantage over their opponents, despite the fact that such behaviors were clearly illegal. The Watergate scandal was the materialization of Nixon's struggle to stay on top and this is why it had such an impact on the masses: people were unable to understand how a person chosen by the majority could be so corrupt.

The Watergate scandal involved several individuals who worked for the U.S. government and who were even part of Nixon's Committee of the Re-Election of the President breaking and entering into the Watergate complex with the intention of planting phone bugs and photography equipment into the Democratic National Committee headquarters. "They hoped the phone bugs and photos would provide information that could be used to ensure Nixon's victory in the 1972 presidential election." (Anderson 10) However, the burglars were caught as a result of a series of failed attempts to make sure that they could get out in a hurry and it was revealed that some of them worked for the President.

Nixon's involvement in the burglary attempt later revealed that the former president held voice-activated listening devices installed in the oval office and in various other places around the White House (Stern xiii). This generated much controversy with regard to the lengths to which some individuals were willing to go in order to achieve their personal interest. Here was a person who was elected on account of his presumed lawfulness and whom tens of millions of people voted with the purpose of improving the quality of their lives. However, the fact that he was unhesitant about directly acting against the law in order to profit from the enterprise enabled society as a whole to acknowledge that urgent action needed to be taken in order for matters to stabilize.

The voice-activated tapping system in the oval office and throughout the White House only managed to amplify the problem concerning the Watergate scandal. Congress demanded to come in possession of the tapes and led to Nixon employing a hostile attitude by attempting to use his influence in order to prevent this. "Ultimately the Supreme Court ruled unanimously against Nixon -- and the rest is history." (Stern xiii) Such behaviors proved that no place was safe from corruption and that even some of the apparently most righteous persons were capable to bend the law to their favor. The Supreme Court's decision further contributed to influence the masses to oppose Nixon's actions and led to the President's resignation. Nixon's decision to resign came at a moment when impeachment would have certainly removed him from presidency, thus meaning that it was his only solution to escape less stained from the overall state of affairs.

The Watergate scandal was directly tied to Nixon through the fact that one of the burglars had received money through the president's re-election campaign. "The check was made out by a Florida bank to Kenneth H. Dahlberg, the President's campaign finance chairman for the Midwest." (Bernstein & Woodward) Dahlberg attempted to cover up the issue by claiming that he had no idea how the check managed to enter the bank account of Bernard L. Barker, one of the individuals caught breaking into the Watergate complex. Furthermore, Barker withdrew a large number of hundred-dollar bills from the respective bank account and some of the money was found in possession of the burglars when they were apprehended.

The fact that Barker was paid through Nixon's re-election campaign played an important role in shaping the public's opinion with regard to the scandal. People were furious and the only viable solution was for the president to be removed from his position, especially considering the series of immoral activities he was involved in.

Nixon was more concerned in his personal well-being than in the well-being of the country. Some of his previous activities actually provided evidence that he was too immoral to be a President, but people failed to acknowledge the problems that bringing him to office would generate. The Nixon Administration had devised a 'plumber' unit especially designed to 'plug leaks' whenever the opportunity arose. Gordon Liddy (ex FBI) and Howard Hunt (ex CIA) were in charge of this unit and were reported to act in disagreement to the law in a series of occasions. Even with this, no one foresaw that their activities would lead to one of the biggest political scandals ever.