United States v. Nixon

The Cover-up

1. Regardless of the outcome, should the President of the United States have a right to privacy in regards to the Oval Office tapes? Explain.

Yes I believe that the president should have the right to privacy, but the tapes should have been handed over to the public because there needs to be evidence either in favor of Nixon, or against him in regards to watergate. The public needs to know if he is abusing his power in anyway and the tapes prove the outcome. But on the other hand these tapes were Nixon's personal effects, almost like his journal. By taking them it would be an act against his personal rights in regards to property.


2. Was President Nixon justified when he fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox? Explain.

No Nixon was not justified when he fired Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox because he was doing it to save himself. By firing Cox Nixon would have a better chance of being seen as innocent. Even though Nixon was the president of the USA he has no right telling the man who pretty much determines the outcome of the case to be fired, it is the equivalent of a criminal being allowed to pick who he wanted for a judge.


3. Was Nixon creating a Constitutional crisis by refusing to hand-over the tapes? Explain.

Yes Nixon was creating a Constitutional crisis by refusing to hand over the tapes because they were his property so he had the right under the constitution not to hand them over, but at the same time they should have been handed over because they were seen as evidenced in the case. The public probably saw this as the government trying to take away Nixon's constitutional rights making them see Nixon as innocent.


Closure

4. Why do you think the American public was so outraged by Watergate?
I think that the American public was so outraged by Watergate because it showed that the candidate's in the election were fake, and deceiving. And when they were caught they tried to cover everything up making an even bigger mess.

5. Do you think President Nixon should have resigned? Explain.

If i were in his position and about to be impeached i probably would have resigned in order to avoid the humiliation of being the 2nd president to be impeached. But no I think that he should have stayed president as long as he could to insure that the nation remained secure and let no room in for a change in government (dictators and such.)

6. Do you think President Nixon should have been prosecuted? Explain.

I believe that he should have been prosecuted as long as there was enough evidence to convict him even if he had the best lawyers ever. The government would look foolish and weak if the case didn't hold up due to lack of evidence, therefore I believe that yes Nixon should have been tried because what he did was wrong and illegal, but there needs to be enough proof for him to be convicted.