Richard Nixon is infamous for his massive betrayal of the American people through the Watergate scandal. Because of this, his achievements in foreign and domestic policy are usually overlooked. He was, however, an able and adept politician. The events which led to his impeachment trial should not be forgotten, as they demonstrate the ways in which the institution of the presidency allows for gross abuse of power. Nevertheless, neither should Nixon’s domestic and foreign policies.
As a Cold War President, Nixon was responsible for introducing the policy of détente into relations with the Soviet Union. This involved a relaxation of the aggressive stances which both nations had taken up until this point. Most importantly, Nixon negotiated the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. These had the effect of calming the hostile nature of the relationship and were a vital step forward in the Cold War.
Nixon also made sizeable steps towards good relations with China. He became the first American President ever to visit the nation, and worked on a relationship involving both China and the USSR
The Vietnam War remained the most pressing item on the presidential agenda. Nixon achieved what Johnson had been unable to manage; the withdrawal of American troops from the region. He had promised this from the start, but it took him four years to achieve the goal. Nevertheless it was an impressive undertaking. Nixon followed a policy of Vietnamization, which involved training the South Vietnamese so that they would be able to take over the role that America had been playing.
Domestically, Nixon was also fairly successful. He did considerable work in the area of civil rights, creating ‘set aside’ policies which aimed to prevent employment discrimination for minority groups. In addition, he set several welfare reforms in motion, and was responsible for the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, an organisation which has risen dramatically in importance over the years.
Nixon’s natural paranoia and distrust led him to expand the presidency too far, resulting in the ‘Imperial Presidency’ for which he is famed. He treated the position as if it were a monarchical one rather than acting as a democratically elected representative of the people. His abuse of power stands as a lesson to the American people on the importance of the system of checks and balances which the Constitution lays out. It also highlights the importance of the media’s role as the unofficial fourth branch of government.
 |
