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Born: January 9, 1913 in Yorba Linda, California Died: April 22, 1994 in New York, New York Political Party: Republican Term of Office: January 20, 1969- August 9, 1974 Vice President: Spiro Agnew (1969-73), Gerald Ford (1973-74)
 * Richard Milhous Nixon **

Richard Nixon is a man that will always, first and foremost, be remembered for his mistakes. He was involved in the Watergate scandal, he was impeached, and he was the only president that resigned. Regardless of these negative events, Nixon still deserves a B because he made visible headway in foreign affairs and domestic reform. Nixon was able to move the country away from wasteful liberalism, improve relations with important foreign powers like Russia and China, and instate beneficial organizations like the Environmental Protection Agency. Nonetheless, his infamous association with the Watergate scandal and other devious events cannot be disregarded and diminishes the good that he was able to achieve in his administration.

Nixon's initial goal as President was to reunite the "war-torn" country. In this objective, Nixon had mixed results. He did go through with his Vietnamization policy, withdrawing more than 500,000 US troops over time and providing the South Vietnamese with all the supplies they needed. The Nixon Doctrine, which said the US would stay committed to its current obligations but that Asian countries in the future would have to fight on their own without major US support, was also declared. These acts did appease the peace-demanding protestors, but random (and sharp) decisions such as the secretive bombings and the invasion of Cambodia in 1970 were met with a furious response from the American public. Escalation of American activity in the Vietnam War was against Nixon's promises, but his threatening and coercive methods did eventually succeed with a “cease fire” agreement in Vietnam. Nixon was also very devoted to maturing America's foreign policy. The communist Soviet Union and China had been on tense terms and Nixon hoped to take advantage of their mutual dislike for the other country to pressure the communists in Vietnam to cease. Although he was known to be very anti-communist, Nixon shocked the public and began to negotiate peacefully with the Chinese. Nixon played the game well, banking on the Soviets' jealousy and obtaining compromises such as the arms-limiting ABM (anti-ballistic missile) treaty and the SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) agreement. Nixon helped to end the Cold War and helped to begin cooperation with more mighty nations. This, he was fairly successful in achieving his goals.

Nixon's relationship with Congress was average. He was a conservative Republican, and the party was gaining ground in the Houses, although the Democrats still had a majority. Regardless of his conservative self-imposed image, Nixon still passed some more liberal and Great Society-ish acts that benefited the Food Stamp system, Medicaid, Social Security, and welfare programs. Other conservative Republicans might have been annoyed, but with these acts, Nixon reduced the American poverty rate to its lowest levels (11%) in modern times. The source of conflict between Congress and Nixon came from the topic of presidential powers. Both houses of Congress were riled up when Nixon vetoed several bills that reduced funding and supplies for the bombings in Vietnam (that Nixon had authorized without asking Congress). Congress' responses to Nixon's power campaign were the repeal of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in 1970 that gave the President a blank check for military force in Asia and the War Powers Act in 1973. This Act required the president to notify Congress within 48 hours after making military decisions in another country. Any cooperation between Nixon and Congress disappeared after the Watergate scandal that shamed the Republican party. All in all, Nixon vetoed 43 bills and 7 of those vetoes were overridden.

The Nixon administration's best legislative bills are the ones concerning environmental protection. During Nixon's term, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) was established to take charge of handling the increasing pollution in the country. A slew of Nixon's “green” bills also helped control water and air pollution, encourage recycling, and even built waste treatment facilities. Though it is true that environmental conservation is expensive, it is very wise and thoughtful of Nixon to encourage the passing of these bills. Had they not been passed, the current America would be greatly polluted and unhealthy. The bills were instituted at a suitable time when automobile usage increased and when factories were still producing lots of waste. Nixon helped start a wonderful environmental friendly mentality that is sought after today.

Unfortunately for Richard Nixon, his negative and dubious actions after the Watergate scandal are what he will be remembered for. He could have gotten into less trouble if he had not tried to cover up his sneaky teams and abuses. The drama started when five members of the Committee to Reelect the President (CREEP) were caught trying to infiltrate the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington. This Republican sneakiness aroused suspicion and further investigations surfaced many of the Nixon administration's misdeeds. Corrupt practices such as phone tapping, accepting hush money, sabotaging, leaking private information, and blackmailing were revealed to the public. When it was discovered that the White House had recordings of conversations in the building, the Senate Investigation committee called for the tapes to be brought forth. Nixon resisted, citing executive privilege, but was forced to eventually give in and hand some tapes over. It was learned that Nixon had been aware of several illegal and corrupt activities and had lied to the public about his non-involvement. All these events accumulated to an impeachment process and Nixon's shameful resignation. The public was thoroughly disillusioned by the biggest American political scandal and the prestige of the presidential office was again smeared. Even after his presidency, Nixon made lunges for some incriminating material. These desperate grabs only painted Nixon as a bad, bad man.

Nixon's most influential act was his outreach to the isolated communist countries of the Soviet Union and China. Nixon mainly wanted to cooperate with these two countries to pressure the North Vietnamese into diplomatic negotiations, but little results were attained in this respect. However, much progress was actually made. A period of detente began, and people everywhere could relax as nuclear arms were (somewhat) reduced and violence was not on the brink of occurring. American presence in the communist countries would eventually result in more democratic governments, while a more personal view on the communists would ease the prejudices of Americans. China, as future American leaders would realize, would quickly become a massive and indispensable part of American life. Being on friendly terms with the Soviets meant a gradual thawing of the Cold War. By working with the Soviets and Chinese, Nixon would affect people all over the world.

Two wrongs don't make a right, and Nixon learned so when he tried to cover up the delinquency of his administration. Nixon was actually successful in his ventures, but the Watergate scandals negated all his triumphs. He made headway in foreign affairs, forming bonds with two other essential superpowers. He was able to pull American troops out of Vietnam and appease the domestic protestors. Environmental bills that would be the basis for the green movements were passed under his support. Nixon was a capable, but shady man. His actions were very disappointing when considering the progress he had been making. He could have been great, but instead Nixon deserves a mocking and embarrassing B.

"American President: Richard Milhous Nixon." // Miller Center of Public Affairs //. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2011. . DeGregorio, William A.. // The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents //. New York: Dembner Books, 1984. Print. Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas Andrew Bailey. // The American Pageant: A History of the Republic //. 12th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. Print. "U.S. Senate: Party Division." // U.S. Senate //. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May. 2011. <[]> "U.S. Senate: Vetoes." //U.S. Senate//. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2011. <[]>.