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President Nixon : President Richard Nixon Essay

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A president is truly affective when he is able to get his policy agenda through Congress. For him to do this, however, it is paramount that he is supported by a majority of the public. When a president is unpopular with the public, Congress will have little incentive to pass his agenda, since doing so will potentially have negative consequences (i.e. not winning reelection). It is also important that the president possess high negotiation skills in getting his agenda passed. A president who oversteps his role, will face a harsh backlash from the public and Congress, which proved to be the downfall of President Richard Nixon. Nixon had a significant amount of experience in government before becoming president, which ultimately influenced how domestic policy, economic policy, and foreign policy was shaped during his tenure.
I. EXPERIENCE BEFORE THE PRESIDENCY:
As documented by the Miller Center, Richard Nixon’s start in national politics began in the late 40s with his successful campaign for the House of Representatives in California (Richard Nixon: Life Before the Presidency). A factor that proved crucial to Nixon’s victory was his linkage of incumbent and opponent, Jerry Voorhis, to a Communist backed political action committee, called the Congress of Industrial Organizations. During his time in Congress from 1947-1950, Nixon used his anti-communist credentials as a member of the House Unamerican Activities Committees, a temporary committee that aimed to expose and ward out

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