Watergate: Symptom of What Sickness?

By now Watergate stands not merely for the illegal and unethical acts of a President and his men but for the intensifying response of Congress, party leaders, and the public. The crisis has illuminated so many areas of American government and politics that it is difficult to stand back and assess its larger meaning.

Is it as momentous as its domination of our consciousness for 18 months makes it seem? Does it reveal anything about American politics and society that we didn’t know...