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| Source:A&E- documentary about Watergate. |
Source:Eric Scheie
The only problem with the Watergate investigations, is that they didn't catch onto the Nixon White House and their abuses of power earlier. And what the Nixon White House was trying to do, which was essentially centralize all of the power into the White House and use the reason of war powers, that America was at war. And under these conditions the Executive has more power than they normally wouldn't have. Including to not only investigate Americans they see as enemies of the state, but be able to take them on and go out-of-their-way to discredit them, which is what the enemies list was about.
The only problem with the Watergate investigations, is that they didn't catch onto the Nixon White House and their abuses of power earlier. And what the Nixon White House was trying to do, which was essentially centralize all of the power into the White House and use the reason of war powers, that America was at war. And under these conditions the Executive has more power than they normally wouldn't have. Including to not only investigate Americans they see as enemies of the state, but be able to take them on and go out-of-their-way to discredit them, which is what the enemies list was about.
Had Congress not only Democrats, but Republicans weren't asleep at the wheel (to paraphrase journalist Richard Reaves) they could've stopped President Nixon's abuses of power earlier than they did in 1974.
The main role of Congress is to hold the executive accountable. In a liberal democracy like America you have checks and balances because to protect the country from abuses of power and authoritarian big centralized government. So you don't have so much power in the executive especially the Head of State. That they have a Congress or Parliament, as well as a judiciary to hold them accountable when they go too far.
You would think in a government where one party controls the executive and the opposition party that controls both the House and Senate in Congress, that the Congress would have more incentive to hold the executive accountable. And not investigate because they want to embarrass the President and White House and make them easier to beat in the next election. But so they know what the executive is going too far and trying to pass off policies on the country without the approval of Congress.
The main role of Congress is to hold the executive accountable. In a liberal democracy like America you have checks and balances because to protect the country from abuses of power and authoritarian big centralized government. So you don't have so much power in the executive especially the Head of State. That they have a Congress or Parliament, as well as a judiciary to hold them accountable when they go too far.
You would think in a government where one party controls the executive and the opposition party that controls both the House and Senate in Congress, that the Congress would have more incentive to hold the executive accountable. And not investigate because they want to embarrass the President and White House and make them easier to beat in the next election. But so they know what the executive is going too far and trying to pass off policies on the country without the approval of Congress.
But in the early 1970s the Democratic Congress was asleep at the wheel (to paraphrase journalist Richard Reaves) in many cases involving the Nixon Administration. Which is one reason why Watergate was able to happen at all.
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