While Nixon didn't shoot electricity at Mace Windu while yelling "UNLIMITED POWER!" (how awesome would that have been?), the abuse, retention, and extension of power is a hot topic in U.S. v. Nixon.
The Watergate break-in was all about wiretapping the Democratic National Committee so the president could use the information gathered from it to retain his office in upcoming election. If you read later accounts of the scandal by the White House Plumbers, it's clear that the attitude in the White House was to do anything and everything to control and discredit Nixon's political enemies and keep the president's power from eroding.
Even though The Court refused to protect Nixon in this case, they ultimately ended up increasing the power of the office of the president by validating the existence of the executive privilege. Presidents after him would cite this court case to extend their power to refuse to cooperate with subpoenas.
Where's a righteous Jedi warrior when you need him? We guess Chief Justice Burger will have to do.
Questions About Power
- Do you think the court suspected that Nixon was abusing the power of the executive privilege even before they heard oral arguments?
- What does the Court say about the limits of the executive privilege? Is it reasonable?
- Was creating the White House Plumbers Unit an abuse of power?
Chew on This
The Supreme Court's recognition of executive privilege in U.S. v. Nixon both increased and decreased presidential power.
Nixon knew the tapes would reveal that he'd do anything to stay in power, even illegal stuff.