Question

Do you agree with this analysis that united states v. nixon expanded the power of the presidency? why or why not?

Answer 1

I would disagree with the statement "United States vs. Nixon expanded the power of the presidency." In reality, it shrank the power of the president.

In this Supreme Court case, Richard Nixon refused to give up taped conversations he had from the Oval Office. Nixon claimed that this action was protected by the idea of "executive privilege." This meant that because he was president, he had the ability to keep these tapes from going to the courts. However the Supreme Court, in a unanimous vote, stated that the president must give up the tapes. This showed that no person was above the law, including the president. This shows that the presidents are responsible to the courts and do not have special protection in legal cases.