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Richard Nixon Born: January 9th, 1913 in Yorba Linda California Died: April 22nd, 1994 in New York, New York Republican 1969-1974   Vice President: Spiro T. Agnew 37th President I am most torn by the grade to give Richard Nixon but for now I settle on a C because he set forth with many goals and accomplished most of them, those that weren’t accomplished he did his best with such as World Stability which will always be near impossible. He did great things in his first term but my grade for him plummets to only a C+ when he involved himself with the “Watergate” scandal and down to a C when he try’s to cover it up. Richard Nixon’s political career quickly climbed the ladder; he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1947. By 1952 he had moved up to the Senate and was chosen by Eisenhower to be the Vice President. Then he took two steps back when he lost the 1960 presidential election to Kennedy and ran unsuccessfully for Governor of California in 1962. Nixon got back up and dusted off by 1968 and was nominated by the Republican Party for President which he won against Democrat, Hubert Humphrey. Richard Nixon’s goals were to end the draft, to establish anti-crime laws, to appoint justices of Conservative philosophy to the Supreme Court, to establish a broad environmental program and world stability. All in all his platform was designed to reach what was understood as the “silent majority” of the working middle class Americans. Nixon promised America that he would try and find a way to have “peace with honor” for the war going on in Vietnam. Nixon did all he could to achieve each of these goals and he was able to do most of them. Nixon set up a broad environmental program, he appointed justices of Conservative philosophy to the Supreme Court just like he promised. Nixon also ended the draft and established anti-crime laws. Nixon assisted in passing laws such as the important Organized Crime Act in 1970, and the Drug Abuse and Control Act which unfortunately didn’t have all the effect it was supposed to have and Drug Abuse was still an issue. As for his environmental contribution he signed into a law in 1973 a bill allowing $40million to go to the United Nations Environment Fund over the span of five years. This money would be going towards the conserving of mankind’s natural and cultural heritage, protection of endangered plants and animals, and prevention of contamination in the ocean and pollutants in the atmosphere. One of the more difficult promises to keep was withdrawing from Vietnam with Honor and peace. The American troops were not brought home till 1973 and South Vietnam fell into the hands of communist forces in 1975 which went strongly against Nixon who in all of his platforms was anti-communist. Nixon also worked towards World Stability in the best ways possible. In 1972 he went to Beijing and Moscow and eased the tension with China and the U.S.S.R. Nixon and Russian leader Leonid I. Brezhnev constructed a treaty to limit nuclear weapons. In 1973 Nixon had struck an accord with North Viet Nam to end America’s involvement with Indochina. The last effort with success during Nixon’s term was in 1974 Nixon’s Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, settled detachment agreements between Israel and its adversaries, Egypt and Syria. Nixon’s Relationship with Congress is assumed to be so-so he was able to do a lot of the things he promised but at first he had to ask for money for Vietnam and for their support of SALT 1 and also the money for the Environmental program. It’s uncommon to see a President have a good relationship with congress let alone a great one and Nixon got a lot of what he promised done so I would judge his relationship with Congress to be Satisfactory. Nixon’s Relationship with the Supreme Court however was understood to be a little more under the weather. Nixon expressed his wishes to appoint more Conservative justices in his platform and followed through when he became President. He seemed to have a similar state of mind with the people who believed the justices held contempt for the law. This relationship would be categorized as more of a unsatisfactory relationship. Nixon’s best decision was two things the first is the contribution to the Environmental program, without out it we may been even worse off than we are now and also his conquest for World stability. To try and create a peace, Nixon became peace maker he made treaties to reduce nuclear weapons, he eased the tension between China and the U.S.S.R. and even his secretary created some peace by working out disengagement agreements between Israel, Egypt and Syria. The most negative outcome on Nixon’s part of course would have to be the “Watergate” scandal. The committee to re-elect Nixon broke into the offices of the Democrat National Committee during the 1972 campaign. Nixon denied any involvement with the scandal but was forced to give up tape recordings which proved not just his involvement but also that he tried to divert the investigation. Many official and Nixon who faced impeachment resigned because of the scandal. Nixon’s Vice President Spiro T. Agnew had resigned in 1973 for an unrelated scandal in Maryland so Nixon nominated and congress approved of house minority Gerald R. Ford as Vice President and who when Nixon resigned became President. Gerald R. Ford pardoned Nixon which many Americans grumbled at. Nixon was the first President ever to resign. Many of Nixon’s laws and Policies are still used today and his donation to the Environmental program was useful but his resignation and his peace maker days are what I would think affected other administrations most. Without his resignation Gerald R. Ford may have never been President. Without his peacemaking skills the tensions with China and the U.S.S.R may have escalated and other numerous possibilities the same with Vietnam. Though most think we would have been better off without Nixon I think he was necessary many of the things he did despite the “Watergate” scandal where and are still helpful I stick to my grade, I think he deserves a C he did what he promised and the only bad outcomes where Vietnam and his bad judgment on the “Watergate” scandal. Works Cited http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/rn37.html http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/nixon http://www.watergate.info/nixon/ http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=2475 http://www.criticism.com/policy/republicans-crime-policy.php http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=4075 http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/pres2.htm http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O184-NixonRichard.html