Richard Nixon claimed ________ when he refused to turn over secret White House tapes to congressional investigators.
A) presidential immunity
B) expressed powers
C) executive privilege
D) delegated authority
E) the Fifth Amendment

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This option best fits Richard Nixon's justification for refusing to turn over the tapes. Executive privilege is a concept that allows the President and other high-ranking members of the executive branch to withhold certain information from other branches of government, in the interest of preserving the confidentiality of certain internal deliberations. Nixon claimed that the tapes contained privileged conversations that were essential to his ability to carry out his duties as President, and therefore was not subject to congressional subpoena. Ultimately, the Supreme Court ruled that executive privilege did not extend to cover the specific circumstances of the Watergate scandal, and thus Nixon was ordered to turn over the tapes.

Richard Nixon Claimed ________ When He Refused to Turn Over