The Watergate Scandal is the scandal that caused President Richard Nixon’s resignation and numerous other resignations of top employees from other government agencies. The Watergate Scandal is named after the hotel that some of Nixon’s burglars broke into to steal important information about the Democratic National Committee. All the President’s Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward covers a first-hand account of what really went on during the coveted Watergate Scandal of the early 1970’s. Both men worked as reporters for the Washington Post, and were assigned to learn more about Watergate, and eventually led them to find the truth behind Watergate as it wrapped through numerous sources and witnesses. The Watergate Scandal, as depicted in All the President’s Men, caused the separation of political parties, massive tension against the government, and put into place a pop culture movement in the 1970’s.

All the President’s Men affected the United States politically because it proved to Americans that their government was not the squeaky clean slate that politicians had made it out to be in the previous decades. It shed light on the darker dealings of our government and showed us just how tangled the Watergate Scandal really was. It did not just cover the President and a couple of operatives, but swept deeper into other agencies and establishments. New witnesses and cohorts of Nixon’s scandal popped up day after day, and it was almost too good to be true for Bernstein and Woodward. The Democrats, who had gotten broken into at Watergate, soaked up the Republican’s shameful and shady downfall. This scandal ultimately ruined any chance for Nixon’s reelection, and even ruined his then-current time in office. Nixon, being the republican frontrunner for the Republicans for reelection, was knocked out, so the timing for the Democrats was perfect. This scandal not only affected America and the way the citizens viewed their government, but also separated the way they viewed their party.

The Watergate Scandal impacted the United States socially in the way that it created a stereotypical view of the government, and a strong lack of trust in the government. If the government was breaking its own laws, then what was the point in the people following these laws too? All the President’s Men gave a closer insight into the corruptness of the government at the time, and showed average Americans the “real” truth behind the scandals. The authors were concerned that if the corruptness in the government was not stopped, then it would lead onto bigger and worse things. Watergate was covered up by the government, and this only made matters worse. It was like lying, and then lying about lying in the first place. All in all, it was like a double lie. “One year of Watergate is enough, and I think we should move on to more urgent matters.” This quote at the end of All the President’s Men was given by Nixon in his State of the Union Address. This quotation shows the inevitable plot into trying to cover up further details about the Watergate Scandal.

The Watergate Scandal and All the President’s Men not only made an impact on the political and social side, but also made a dent in the wall of culture. Dozens of songs, books, movies, and many other forms of culture depicted the events of Watergate. Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dustin Hoffman, and many others portrayed either actual people or emotions that many Americans experienced during this chaotic era. It was evident that Watergate and All the Presidents Men had a tremendous impact on America’s culture, because it showed up in just about every aspect of the entertainment arts during the time. The authors strongly press their findings about different people in the government, but not to bash them, just to shed light. Maybe this is why the book had such a dramatic impact, because it was not a basher book, just a book about the true findings of Bernstein and Woodward.

            All the President’s Men gave readers a first-hand insight behind the Watergate Scandal. It made readers feel as if they were experiencing the events as they happened, even thirty years later. The book shaped the way Watergate was viewed, and took care of most of the gray areas that people didn’t know much about. There could not be closer or better sources than Bernstein and Woodward. These authors are citizens that are trying to supply Americans with the truth behind Watergate. This book gives a good look into who was involved and how it affected America. All the President’s Men was an instant classic, and will be one of the closest depictions to the truth behind Richard Nixon’s Watergate Scandal.