Watergate and Political Scandals Flashcards
Grade 11 · Social Studies · Flashcards
Key terms, figures, events, and constitutional principles from the Watergate scandal and its aftermath.
Flashcards
- Richard Nixon
- 37th U.S. president (1969-1974); resigned August 9, 1974 to avoid impeachment and conviction over his role in the Watergate cover-up.
- Watergate Complex
- Office and hotel complex in Washington, D.C. where the DNC headquarters was burglarized on June 17, 1972, triggering the scandal.
- Obstruction of Justice
- A federal crime; Nixon participated in efforts to block the FBI's investigation of the Watergate break-in, which constituted obstruction.
- John Dean
- Nixon's White House counsel who became a key government witness, testified before the Senate, and revealed the cover-up to investigators.
- Archibald Cox
- First Watergate special prosecutor, fired by Nixon in the Saturday Night Massacre of October 1973 for demanding the White House tapes.
- Articles of Impeachment
- The House Judiciary Committee approved three articles — obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress — before Nixon resigned.
- 25th Amendment
- Constitutional provision used to appoint Gerald Ford as vice president after Agnew resigned and again to confirm Ford as president after Nixon's resignation.
- Presidential Pardon (Ford)
- On September 8, 1974, President Ford granted Nixon a full and unconditional pardon, a deeply controversial decision that may have cost Ford the 1976 election.
- Ethics in Government Act (1978)
- Post-Watergate law requiring senior federal officials to publicly disclose financial records and creating the framework for the independent counsel statute.
- Enemies List
- A secret Nixon White House list of political opponents who were targets for harassment through IRS audits, FBI investigations, and other government resources.
- Hush Money Payments
- Nixon's team paid the Watergate burglars to remain silent; these payments were central to the obstruction charges and eventually acknowledged on the White House tapes.
- Legacy of Watergate
- Watergate established the principle that no president is above the law, led to sweeping reforms in campaign finance and government ethics, and permanently eroded public trust in government.
- 18.5-Minute Gap
- A suspicious erasure in one of the White House tape recordings; Nixon's secretary Rose Mary Woods claimed she accidentally erased it, but experts concluded deliberate erasure was likely.
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