Question

Why was Watergate a Constitutional crisis

Answer 1

One way in which the Watergate scandal created a constitutional crisis was that it made people question the limits of executive power and secrecy at the highest levels of government in general. 

Answer 2

Watergate was a crisis because Richard Nixon allowed his spies (Everyone in the gov't has them these days) to investigate in his rival's office, finding tapes plans, you name it. When questioned in court, Nixon would not give up the tapes and THEIR things.  (They went to court after he won.) This violated the First Amendment with free press. Right before he was convicted guilty he and his VP Spiro Agnew both resigned, thus causing them not to have any criminal charges.

Also, Watergate was the rival's estate that they raided.

Now they just use gate as an suffix to mean constitutional crisis haha. Like Obamagate.