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==Nixon and the Public Trust==

Nixon soon became a popular but polarizing figure. His commitment to law enforcement was matched by government spying on anti-war and fringe political groups. Nixon also implemented a series of major government reforms including the Environmental Protection Agency. The economy soon appeared to be stabilizing until a massive oil shock in Nixon's second term. The 1973 Yom Kippur War between Israel and its neighbors sent shockwaves through the rest of the world. Several major oil producers, led by Saudi Arabia, cut off oil to the West due to their support of Israel. By 1974 the price of crude quadrupled and global economies saw tremendous economic damage.

Nixon's commitment to end the Vietnam War was split, to say the least. Nixon had substantially reduced the number of U.S. troops in Vietnam and ended the draft in 1973. However, Nixon also escalated bombing of Cambodia and Laos without Congressional approval. The U.S., South Vietnam, and North Vietnam all agreed to end the war in the Paris Peace Accords in 1973. Many Americans felt lied to about the cause and course of the war and the over 50,000 Americans that died in the war.

Furthermore, the Nixon Administration became embroiled with the largest scandal in American political history. Questions swirled about how much President Nixon knew about the break in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate Hotel, in Washington. As it became apparent that the White House directed a massive cover-up public support for Nixon cratered. Nixon's second term was spent in scandal, resulting in Nixon's resignation in August 1974. Trust in public institutions were shattered. <ref>Bernstein, Carl and Woodward, Bob, ''All the President's Men''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1974. Pages 67-71.</ref>