▁with ▁some ▁exceptions . ▁On ▁November ▁ 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Water gate ▁trial ▁records ▁for ▁G . ▁Gordon ▁L idd y ▁and ▁James ▁McC ord ▁were ▁ordered ▁un se aled ▁by ▁Federal ▁Judge ▁Roy ce ▁Lam ber th . ▁ ▁Political ▁and ▁cultural ▁rever ber ations ▁According ▁to ▁Thomas ▁J . ▁Johnson , ▁a ▁professor ▁of ▁journal ism ▁at ▁University ▁of ▁Texas ▁at ▁Austin , ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁Henry ▁K iss inger ▁predicted ▁during ▁N ixon ' s ▁final ▁days ▁that ▁history ▁would ▁remember ▁N ixon ▁as ▁a ▁great ▁president ▁and ▁that ▁Water gate ▁would ▁be ▁re leg ated ▁to ▁a ▁" min or ▁foot note ". ▁ ▁When ▁Congress ▁investig ated ▁the ▁scope ▁of ▁the ▁president ' s ▁legal ▁powers , ▁it ▁bel ated ly ▁found ▁that ▁consecutive ▁president ial ▁administr ations ▁had ▁declared ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁a ▁continuous ▁open - ended ▁state ▁of ▁emer gency ▁since ▁ 1 9 5 0 . ▁Congress ▁en act ed ▁the ▁National ▁Emer gen cies ▁Act ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁to ▁reg ulate ▁such ▁declarations . ▁The ▁Water gate ▁sc andal ▁left ▁such ▁an ▁impression ▁on ▁the ▁national ▁and ▁international ▁conscious ness ▁that ▁many ▁sc and als ▁since ▁then ▁have ▁been ▁l abeled ▁with ▁the ▁suffix ▁"- gate ". ▁ ▁Dis g ust ▁with ▁the ▁revel ations ▁about ▁Water gate , ▁the ▁Republican ▁Party , ▁and ▁N ixon ▁strongly ▁affected ▁results ▁of ▁the ▁November ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁Senate ▁and ▁House ▁elections , ▁which