This anthology places the student in the midst of one of the most dramatic events in American political history. Watergate was a constitutional crisis, and its resolution is a story of how the American system can be made to work in time of stress. The documents in this volume capture the emotions of the moment, the partisan politics that were at play, and the extraordinary efforts of the participants to bring the episode to an end without damage to the Constitution. The readings are accompanied with an introduction and headnotes. The anthology teaches how American law and politics work and gives some indication of the ways the system may handle future strains.





Selections include a chronology of events related to Watergate along with a cast of characters; texts of relevant federal legal codes; and excerpts from speeches, news conferences, newspapers testimony, memos, letters, court rulings, and tapes involving the White House staff, the President, members of Congress, the CIA and FBI, and other involved parties.