Faced with impeachment, Richard M. Nixon resigned the presidency 40 years ago. Lake Michigan College history instructor Tim Moore says that the resignation and the Watergate scandal were a touchstone and have had long term effects on the US political system.

He will present a free lecture on the subject from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, at the LMC Bertrand Crossing Campus in room 116.

“The long-term effects of Watergate have been positive and negative,” said Moore. “On the positive side, for example, the media are much more likely to scrutinize political candidates and officeholders at every level of government than they were before Nixon’s presidency. So the media have served as a vital watchdog over our governments. On the negative side, however, reporters feel obligated to be the first to expose some type of wrongdoing, even acts that pale in comparison to Nixon’s abuse of power.”

Moore will present more insights into the Watergate scandal that brought down Nixon’s presidency, including the role the media played, in this course.