Founded in 1903, the American Political Science Association is the major professional society for individuals engaged in the study of politics and government. APSA brings together political scientists from all fields of inquiry, regions, and occupational endeavors. While most APSA members are scholars who teach and conduct research in colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad, one-fourth work outside academe in government, research, organizations, consulting firms, the news media, and private enterprise. For more information about the APSA, its publications and programs, please see the APSA website.
The Watergate scandal of the early 1970s is the gold standard of American political scandals because it forced Richard M. Nixon to become the first—and thus far the only—U.S. president to resign from office. After five men were caught breaking into the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.’s Watergate complex on June 17, 1972, the trail eventually led to Nixon’s Republican administration and to the president himself, who was ultimately incriminated by tape recordings that he had made of Oval Office conversations.
