What was Watergate?

• A. The Events That Led to Richard Nixon's Resignation Under the Threat of Impeachment
• B. The Event That Led to the Resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew During the Richard Nixon Administration
• C. An Ill-Fated Attempt by Members of the Richard Nixon Campaign to Tamper with Ballots During the 1968 Presidential Election
• D. The Scandal Involving the Illegal Sale of Government Documents by Members of the Richard Nixon Administration

Answer: (A)

Watergate refers to the major political scandal of the early 1970s that began with a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex and extended to a cover-up by members of the Nixon White House. As investigations exposed abuses of presidential power, illegal campaign activities, and obstruction of justice, the affair grew into a crisis that made impeachment seem likely. Facing the threat of removal from office, President Richard Nixon resigned in 1974, becoming the first U.S. president to do so. The name Watergate comes from the building where the initial crime occurred, and it has come to symbolize corruption and the limits of executive power in American politics.

The other options misstate what Watergate was about. One describes Agnew’s resignation for separate charges, not the Watergate scandal. Another refers to ballot tampering in 1968, which is not the Watergate incident. The last option suggests illegal sale of government documents, which is not what Watergate involved.