What events caused voters to lose faith in the political system and the nation’s leaders in the late 1960s and 1970s?

There were several factors that led to voters losing faith in the political system and in our nation’s leaders in the late 1960s and the 1970s. The Vietnam War was a major factor why this occurred. The government had been telling the public that the war was going well and would end soon. However, the images that the public was seeing on television showed a very different story. Additionally, when North Vietnam launched the Tet Offensive in 1968, the public began to doubt the government. This led to the development of a credibility gap between the government and the public.

When President Nixon got elected in 1968, he promised to end the Vietnam War. However, the conflict was still going on as the election of 1972 approached. In fact, the conflict expanded into Cambodia, leading to some violent protests on college campuses, such as the one at Kent State University.

There also was much civil unrest in the late 1960s. Riots broke out in many cities as people protested against poverty, discrimination, and the continuation of the Vietnam War. It appeared as if the government was not able to resolve these issues.

After the election of 1972, people learned of the Watergate scandal. President Nixon said he had no connection with any event associated with the burglary at the Watergate building. However, evidence was found that proved President Nixon was involved in the cover-up of the event. This led to his resignation in 1974. Public confidence in our political system and in our leaders, which had been declining, took another hit with this event. Some people were further disillusioned when President Ford pardoned President Nixon.

There were several reasons for the decline in public confidence in our political system and in our elected officials in the late 1960s and 1970s.