How did American politics and society develop from Watergate to the end of the century?
The Watergate scandal and the crisis of trust in government, the conservative revival under Reagan in the 1980s, the continuing struggles for equality, and the position of the USA as the world's sole superpower by 2000.
A focused answer to American politics and society to 2000 in the Eduqas period study, covering Watergate and the crisis of trust, the conservative revival under Reagan, continuing struggles for equality, and the USA as the sole superpower by 2000.
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point covers the final decades of Eduqas's Component 2 period study, The Development of the USA. You need to explain the Watergate scandal and the crisis of trust in government, the conservative revival under Reagan in the 1980s, the continuing struggles for equality, and the position of the USA as the world's sole superpower by 2000. As a period study, focus on change over time as the USA moved from the upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s to the confident superpower of 2000.
Watergate and the crisis of trust
The conservative revival under Reagan
Continuing struggles for equality
The USA as sole superpower by 2000
Try this
Q1. Why did President Nixon resign in 1974? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. The Watergate cover-up; secret tapes revealed his involvement in obstructing the investigation of the 1972 break-in, and facing impeachment he resigned, the only US president to do so.
Q2. Explain why the USA was the world's sole superpower by 2000. [Short explanation]
- Cue. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 ended the Cold War with the USA victorious, leaving it the world's strongest economy and military power, with its culture spread worldwide, the climax of the American century.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC Eduqas exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Eduqas C100 20184 marksDescribe two features of the Watergate scandal.Show worked answer →
The period-study describe question (4 marks, AO1). Reward two distinct, developed features, each with one supporting detail.
Feature one. The scandal began with a break-in at the Democratic Party headquarters in the Watergate building in 1972 by people linked to President Nixon's re-election campaign.
Feature two. The cover-up was the real crime: Nixon tried to obstruct the investigation, but tape recordings revealed his involvement, and facing impeachment he resigned in 1974, the only US president to do so.
Top marks. Two separate features, each developed with precise detail.
Eduqas C100 20218 marksExplain why the Watergate scandal damaged Americans' trust in their government.Show worked answer →
The period-study "explain why" question (8 marks, AO1 and AO2). Reward a developed analysis of two or three reasons, each with precise support.
Reason one. It revealed serious wrongdoing at the very top: the President and his staff had broken the law and tried to cover it up, shattering the idea that leaders could be trusted.
Reason two. It came after the Vietnam War had already undermined faith in government, so Watergate confirmed a sense that politicians lied and abused power.
Reason three. The dramatic public hearings and Nixon's resignation in 1974 were a national spectacle that left lasting cynicism about politics and a demand for more openness and accountability.
Top band. Connect each reason explicitly to the loss of trust, and finish with the most important factor.
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Sources & how we know this
- WJEC Eduqas GCSE History (C100) specification — WJEC Eduqas (2016)