Richard M. Nixon: Smoking Gun Tape

Questions for Further Study

• 1. Release of the Smoking Gun Tape led Nixon to resign to escape certain impeachment. Only two presidents in American history, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, have been impeached. How do Nixon's crimes compare with Johnson's and Clinton's?
• 2. Some have argued that the Watergate scandal was a less serious abuse of power than the Iran-Contra scandal that occurred during Ronald Reagan's presidency. How are the two scandals similar? How are they different? Why was Reagan's punishment far less severe than Nixon's?
• 3. Many have argued that Nixon's resignation proved that the system of checks and balances worked as intended by the framers of the U.S. Constitution to protect our democracy. Others have argued that the nation was saved only by luck. Had it not been for the White House tapes, Nixon would have remained in office. Which claim is more persuasive?
• 4. Given the significant achievements in foreign and domestic policy of Nixon's presidency, how much weight should be given to the Watergate scandal in determining his place in history? Do you believe that future historians who were not alive during Nixon's presidency will regard him more positively than contemporary historians?