Watergate Scandal Quiz

What year did the Watergate break-in occur?

• 1970

• 1972

• 1974

• 1976

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DOK Level 1: Recall

Who was the President of the United States during the Watergate scandal?

• Lyndon B. Johnson

• Richard Nixon

• Gerald Ford

• Jimmy Carter

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DOK Level 1: Recall

What was the scandal that happened at the Watergate Hotel?

• President Nixon gave orders for the military to bomb Cambodia, instead of just Vietnam

• Daniel Ellsberg gave the Pentagon Papers to newspaper editors, showing that LBJ had lied about the Vietnam War

• An affair between President Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe

• A break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters during President Nixon's re-election campaign.

How did the public find out about the Watergate Scandal?

• Nixon confessed to it on national television

• Security cameras caught Nixon breaking into the Watergate Hotel

• Investigative journalists from the Washington Post uncovered and published the details

• Richard Nixon's wife Pat turned him in

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

What evidence proved that Nixon had been involved in Watergate?

• Nixon's public apology
• A written confession from Nixon
• Eyewitness testimony from a White House staff member
• Secret tape recordings that Nixon made in the White House

Explain how the Watergate scandal impacted American politics.

• It led to the impeachment of President Nixon.

• It resulted in the resignation of President Nixon.

• It had no significant impact on American politics.

• It strengthened public trust in the government.

Answer explanation

Nixon had to resign (quit) because otherwise Congress would have impeached him (kicked him out).

He is the only US president ever to resign.

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

What happened to President Nixon after he resigned?

• He went to prison.

• He fled the country to avoid prosecution.
• He was pardoned by President Gerald Ford.
• He was impeached and removed from office.

Answer explanation

After Nixon resigned, his vice president Gerald Ford took over. Ford pardoned Nixon for crimes relating to Watergate, meaning that Nixon would not have to go to jail.

This was very controversial. Many Americans were angry at Ford for the pardon.

Analyze the significance of the Watergate scandal in terms of its impact on public trust in the government.

• It had no effect on public trust in the government.

• It increased public trust in the government.

• It significantly decreased public trust in the government.

• It led to a temporary decrease in public trust, which quickly recovered.

Answer explanation

When Nixon became president, most Americans trusted the government. Ever since Watergate, the opposite has been true.

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept