Synopses & Reviews
The Watergate crisis continues to cast a long shadow over American politics. So many of the issues we confront today have their roots in the scandals of the Nixon administration. In this volume, a collection of essays by political scientists and historians from the United States and the United Kingdom, the contributors trace many of today's problems directly back to the Watergate crisis, and examine the legacy of Watergate for American politics today.
Review
“This collection of excellent analyses reminds us that Watergate was much more than an illegal break-in; the ‘White House horrors included financial corruption, illegal wiretaps, suborning perjury, abuse of power, obstruction of justice, and undermining the electoral process. For those who remember Watergate, the collection provides a stark reminder of the turbulent times that led to the resignation of Richard Nixon. For those who are too young to remember Watergate, it provides an in-depth case study of the tragedy that Richard Nixon inflicted upon himself and the country. The essays in this book are not merely of historical interest; they trace the ripples of Watergate through the past 40 years and reveal the broader ramifications of this defining episode in twentieth century American history. Anyone interested in American politics will learn much from this book.”--James P. Pfiffner, George Mason University
“In this book, leading American and British scholars demonstrate Watergate's lasting impact upon American politics and national institutions. The scandal reshaped the separation of powers, campaign finance law, presidential war powers, and the president's relationship with the public. Its effects reached far into American culture and media. The book's thoughtful contributors illuminate the scandal as one of the signal events in American political history. It is essential reading for students of American politics, history, and the American presidency.”--Steve Schier, Congdon Professor of Political Science, Carleton College
Synopsis
As the fortieth anniversary of the Nixon resignation approaches, it is time to take a fresh look at Watergate's impact on the American political system and to consider its significance for the historical reputation of the president indelibly associated with it.
About the Author
MICHAEL A. GENOVESE holds the Loyola Chair of Leadership at Loyola Marymount University. He is the author of over thirty books, including
The Paradoxes of the American Presidency (2010),
Presidential Prerogative (2011),
Memo to a New President (2008), and
Contending Approaches to the American Presidency (2011).
IWAN W. MORGAN is a professor of US Studies and director of the United States Presidency Centre at the Institute for the Study of the Americas. He has written widely on the presidency, including Nixon (2002). His most recent book, The Age of Deficits: Presidents and Unbalanced Budgets from Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush (2009), won the American Politics Group's Richard E. Neustadt Prize.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Remembering Watergate - Michael A. Genovese and Iwan W. Morgan * Revisiting Arthur Schlesinger's The Imperial Presidency - Jon Herbert * Watergate and the Decline of the Separation of Powers - Nancy Kassop * Watergate and Scandal Politics: The Rise and Fall of the Special Prosecutor - Clodagh Harrington * Vietnam, Watergate, and the War Power: Presidential Aggrandizement and Congressional Abdication - David Gray Adler and Michael A. Genovese * Richard Nixon, Reputation, and Watergate - Iwan W. Morgan * The Ripple Effect of Scandal and Reform: The Historical Impact of Watergate-Era Campaign Finance Regulation and Its Progeny - Victoria Farrar-Myers * Nixon, Watergate, and the Attempt to Sway Public Opinion - Todd Belt * The Cinematic Watergate: From All the President's Men to Frost/Nixon - Kingsley Marshall * The Long Legacy of Watergate - Michael A. Genovese