Questions and Answers: United State History
Kylie Evans
Mrs. Pierce
US History
4 May 2014
US History Take Home Test Essays 1. Was Gerald Ford an ineffective president as his critics claimed, or was he merely the victim of circumstances? In my opinion, General Ford was merely a victim of circumstances. He was trying to do a good thing by giving Nixon a presidential pardon, so that the United States could just forget about the Watergate Affair (BJU 557). But unfortunately, the pardon just made things worse for him, many people thought that it was unfair that Nixon just escaped his criminal charges. As a result of this, Ford’s popularity fell (BJU 557). There were also other reasons why he was a victim of circumstances, they thought that he was clumsy. He tripped a little coming off his plane and he accidentally hit people with golf balls. Both accidents were merely accidents, not an act of clumsiness. Everyone has a clumsy day, even presidents (BJU 557). 2. Should Richard Nixon have resigned from the office of the president? In my opinion, I think it was a good move on Nixon’s part to resign from office. There was so much riding on his shoulders and so much evidence that went against him. The courts and
Congress wanted him to release the tapes from the Oval Office he had put in (BJU 556). But he refused to do so, he claimed that it would expose national secrets that the people didn’t need to know about. But he did release some edited transcripts of the tapes, trying to get the people off his back (BJU 556). Eventually, the Supreme Court ruled that Nixon had to release the tapes. It showed that he was trying to cover up the involvement of his White House assistants (BJU 556).
3. Some political observers in the late 1970s claimed that the presidency had grown too large for one man to handle. Why would they think so? Do you agree or disagree with their claim?
I agree with the fact that the presidency had grown too large for one
Mrs. Pierce
US History
4 May 2014
US History Take Home Test Essays 1. Was Gerald Ford an ineffective president as his critics claimed, or was he merely the victim of circumstances? In my opinion, General Ford was merely a victim of circumstances. He was trying to do a good thing by giving Nixon a presidential pardon, so that the United States could just forget about the Watergate Affair (BJU 557). But unfortunately, the pardon just made things worse for him, many people thought that it was unfair that Nixon just escaped his criminal charges. As a result of this, Ford’s popularity fell (BJU 557). There were also other reasons why he was a victim of circumstances, they thought that he was clumsy. He tripped a little coming off his plane and he accidentally hit people with golf balls. Both accidents were merely accidents, not an act of clumsiness. Everyone has a clumsy day, even presidents (BJU 557). 2. Should Richard Nixon have resigned from the office of the president? In my opinion, I think it was a good move on Nixon’s part to resign from office. There was so much riding on his shoulders and so much evidence that went against him. The courts and
Congress wanted him to release the tapes from the Oval Office he had put in (BJU 556). But he refused to do so, he claimed that it would expose national secrets that the people didn’t need to know about. But he did release some edited transcripts of the tapes, trying to get the people off his back (BJU 556). Eventually, the Supreme Court ruled that Nixon had to release the tapes. It showed that he was trying to cover up the involvement of his White House assistants (BJU 556).
3. Some political observers in the late 1970s claimed that the presidency had grown too large for one man to handle. Why would they think so? Do you agree or disagree with their claim?
I agree with the fact that the presidency had grown too large for one