Thesiss

This dissertation undertakes a comparative historical analysis of two key American political crises, analyzing how and why media coverage affects perceptions and outcomes when state legitimacy is challenged by presidential abuse of power. In the first crisis, President Richard N…

Both the Watergate break-in of the early 1970s and the Iran-Contra affair of the late 1980s created enormous political controversy. In both instances, one of the main responses to the situation was the creation of select congressional committees to investigate the alleged wrongd…

Focusing on the first six months of Richard Nixon’s second term as president – January through June 1973 – this thesis examines the Nixon administration’s press manipulations and maneuverings between the Vietnam War and Watergate. This thesis cross-checks the Nixon administratio…