Watergate: A Case of Checks and Balances

"Watergate," the scandal that led to President Richard Nixon's resignation, began in June, 1972, several months before the presidential election. Five men were arrested for breaking into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee, located at the Watergate Hotel and office complex. The burglars were discovered while attempting to plant wiretaps to spy on Nixon's presidential opponent.

One of these men, Bernard Leon Barker, died on June 5, 2009, at the age of 92. Before Barker became involved in Watergate, he was a pilot and prisoner of war during World War II. Later, he served as a CIA operative and was a key leader in the Bay of Pigs Invasion, which was a failed 1961 attempt to overthrow Cuba's Fidel Castro.

Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward wrote a number of investigative stories over several months that focused national attention on the Watergate burglary. The judicial branch became involved when Nixon refused to turn over taped conversations that investigators had requested. The president claimed he had the right to refuse because of executive privilege, but the Supreme Court ruled that the tapes likely included evidence of illegal activity by government officials and that releasing the tapes did not threaten national security; therefore, executive privilege could not be invoked in this case.

These tapes, along with other evidence, prompted Congress to begin taking the necessary steps that eventually led to the president's impeachment. Shortly after that, in 1974, President Nixon announced his resignation.

For this week's lesson, you will explore the depths of Watergate—the crimes, the investigations, and the people involved. You will also learn about the impeachment process and about what kinds of secrets executive privilege hides (or doesn't hide) from public view.

Watergate Revealed

Begin your investigation with The Watergate Files, stored at the Gerald R. Ford Library & Museum. As if you were a news reporter, prepare to take notes on what you discover in these files. Write down what you think are the most interesting facts about the case and each person involved. Make sure to also list the key primary documents that support the case, and briefly describe what evidence they include.

Enter and read the introduction, and then continue to the Watergate Trial Overview. Next, meet the core People involved, including John Sirica, John Mitchell, G. Gordon Liddy, Sam Ervin, Richard Nixon, and the Burglars. In the Documents, read the letter to Judge Sirica that helped unveil some of the deception involved. Also, review the Timeline to get a sense of how the first part of the case unfolded. When you have finished the overview section, review your notes. Use a highlighting pen to mark five or more items in your notes that you think are the most interesting.

Now, move on to the Senate Hearings. After reading the introduction, learn about some of the key players involved in the hearings, including John Dean, Bob Haldeman, John Ehrlichman, and Archibald Cox. Also, browse through the section's Documents, Timeline, and Film Reels. When you have completed this section, review your notes and highlight five or more items that you think are the most interesting.

As you have learned, discovery of Nixon's taped conversations came to light during the Senate Hearings. So began The Battle for the Tapes, which investigators believed would prove critical to the case. Read the overview, and meet some additional People involved—Gerald Ford and Robert Bork. Then, open the related Documents, follow the Timeline, and watch the Film Reels. Again, review your notes and mark key highlights from this section.

With Nixon's release of the tapes, the president and his administration suffered further Trials and Tribulations. As the overview explains, the legal heat got hotter, and the public got a taste of the real Nixon through the broadcast of some of his taped conversations. Review the Timeline and Film Reels for a sense of how public opinion of Nixon had clearly shifted. When you are done with this section, take time to highlight your notes, marking at least five key items.

In The Aftermath of the investigation, impeachment loomed over the president's head. What were the three main points the House committee set forth as grounds for impeachment? What was the significance of the Supreme Court's decision in the Timeline? Why did Nixon decide to resign when he did? One more time, highlight five or more key facts in your notes.

Now, scrutinize the notes you highlighted in each of the five sections of the Watergate Files. Write one or two paragraphs that summarize each section, using the facts you highlighted. When done, reflect on your summaries, and then write a conclusion about how the events of Watergate make you feel personally or how you think this event has shaped American history or the federal government. Your conclusion could also reflect on how the news media or the general public responded to events.

The Road to Impeachment

As you have learned, a president is not above the law. This is because Congress created laws that ensure a president—or any other civil officer of the United States—can be removed from office under certain conditions.

Basically, people can be removed from office if they have been impeached for and convicted of "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." These laws, along with the separation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the American government, are what help keep the balance of power in check. To learn more about how this works, look closer at the Supreme Court case United States v. Nixon at the Landmark Cases site.

First, review the Background Summary and Questions related to the case. Next, follow the Diagram of How the Case Moved Through the Court System, and read Key Excerpts from the Opinion given by the Supreme Court.

The Oral Arguments are no longer available on this site, but if you have time, you can visit the Nixon Presidential Library & Museum site, which provides audio clips and transcripts of the Watergate-Related Tapes; these include the Watergate Trial Conversations and the Excerpted Watergate-Related Conversations.

Discuss with classmates what the court's opinion concludes and why.

Now, dig a little deeper to find out more about What Secrets Are Protected Under a Claim of Executive Privilege. Complete the exercise of determining which types of secrets are protected or not protected.

As you will soon discover in your review of Impeachments in U.S. History, Nixon was not the only president that has faced impeachment. First, open and print the Graphic Organizer (PDF). Then, review the articles of impeachment for presidents Johnson, Nixon, and Clinton, and complete the chart for each case, summarizing the most serious accusations.

Do you think this system works to maintain the balance of power between the branches of government, or do you think it doesn't work? Write an opinion article that includes two or more key points or historical evidence (for example, facts from the landmark cases) that supports your opinion. You may also wish to suggest one or more ways to improve the system. Share your essay with classmates for discussion.

Newspaper Activities

Browse current issues of The Sacramento Bee to find an example of two or three branches of the federal government interacting in some way. Identify the specific issue or shared goal that brings the branches together, and describe it in one concise sentence. For each branch, list its responsibilities and the key players involved. Also, research and cite the piece of written law that relates to this issue and prompts the involvement of these branches of government. If possible, develop a timeline of key events, and follow the issue to its resolution. In what ways may the resolution impact the American public? Create a Web page or other type of presentation that illustrates your research as an example of how the federal government works. Share your example with other students in high school or in middle school.