Introduction
Historically, several scandals have occurred in the United States of America government. Naturally, some of these incidences are peculiar, hence they call for a high level of attention globally. The two most common types of acts that most Americans have continued to remember are Watergate’s impeccable misconduct and the Iran-Contra affair. The majority of the American community has drawn attention to these infamous incidents due to their nature, timing, and the people involved. Even though the two scandals are different in how they occurred, they share certain similarities. As a result, this essay aims to compare and contrast the Watergate and the Iran-Contra scandals in America’s history.
Examples of Similarities
They Both Involved Top Government Officials
The Watergate controversy occurred in Washington DC in June 1972, when a security guard uncovered an alleged burglary of the office of the Democratic National Committee. Over five members who were President Richard Nixon’s aides were directly entangled in the incident. As witnesses would reveal later, these people aimed to uncover inside information about the committee by copying information, wiretapping, and the destruction of the information (Berkin 760). More than thirty people of the circle pleaded guilty and were convicted for burglary, perjury, and obstruction of justice.
On the other hand, the Iran-Contra affair took place later in 1985, when President Reagan officials felt the need to obtain the American hostages held in Lebanon through illegal business. These members proposed the need for sealing weapons to Iran through Israel. According to Reagan aides, this gun sale would influence Iran to release the hostage (Berkin 786). The above move was contrary to the Congress’s ideas that had banned any form of aid to the rebels. As per their wish, the Reagan officials managed to sell eighteen Hawk Missiles to Ayatollah Khomeini’s Iran.
They Both Created Moments of High Drama
According to the reports that were revealed, the two cases created a high level of drama. They depicted how the top officials staged double standards during their reign. The Watergate produced sufficient evidence of President Nixon’s election foul play that included the foiled burglary at the headquarters (Berkin 761). The above incident resulted in the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon. Consequently, the Iran-Contra hearings revealed that President Reagan knew about the secrete sale of weapons to Iran’s rebels (Berkin 787). Reagan handed over several officials’ documents to the aides, thus wavering executive key privileges
Examples of Differences
Varied Conducts of the Two Presidents
Despite the above similarities, there are some differences between the two occurrences. For example, while President Nixon was accused of covering up the campaign’s entire incident and election foul, Reagan was revealed to cooperate with the illegal business (Berkin 760). It was noted that Reagan decided to waive his key executive privileges to his aides to promote the sale of the guns to the perceived enemies.
Nature of Investigation
During the Watergate, the witnesses and court officials were on a similar level. The personalities, especially the lawyers, appeared to be conservative. The above trend was different from the Iran-Contra probe that was treated as high-profile investigation (Berkin 762). The physical arrangement of the court and how the committees were handled were better. The entire judgment period was treated with a relatively high level of dignity.
Conclusion
The paper has alluded that the Watergate and the Iran-Contra scandals had many differences and similarities in their nature, people involved, and the possible effects. The two occasions typically involved two presidents and created a high level of drama in the history of America. Consequently, they also had a great impact on the history of America. Therefore, researchers and scholars should understand how these two occasions occurred and their possible effects. The approach will help to avoid the possible occurrences in the future.
Reference
Berkin, Carol, et al. Making America: A History of the United States, Volume 2: Since 1865. 7th ed., Cengage Learning, 2012.