Nixon was very successful in his foreign policy. He made peace with China and finally recognized them as a country. This helped open up trade relations with them and to this day they are our largest trade partner. Also, Nixon's plan called "Detente" helped ease tensions with the Soviet Union. They agreed that nuclear arms would not be used by either side basically ending the Cold War.
Nixon also was a big contributor to civil rights. He created equal pay and equal employment opportunities for women. Nixon also hated segregation and enforced the desegregation of all schools after the decision of the supreme court "Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education." (65)
Nixon also passed various Environmental Acts and created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Some of his acts attacked the issues of pollution in both the air and water. (66)
Nixon's war in Vietnam was justified as he was trying to fight the war on Communism. He just wanted to aid the democratic South Koreans in their fight to maintain their government. Finally, he did not start the war, but inherited from his predecessors Kennedy and Johnson.
Bad President
The main reason why Nixon is viewed as a bad president is for the Watergate Scandal. During this he broke several very serious laws including: improper auditing, illegal wire tapping, accomplice to breaking and entering, spying, and fraud,and planning to commit perjury. Nixon also committed all these acts to rig the election and gain inside access to the democratic party. (67)
While some believe Nixon was justified to continue the war on Vietnam, others believe his efforts to keep up the war caused the deaths of thousands of Americans and billions of dollars of taxpayer money. He was a "fence sitter" and kept up the war as he was afraid to be the first president to lose a war.
Nixon also expanded the war illegally into Cambodia. He dropped many bombs on the Cambodians and killed hundred of thousands of innocent Cambodian civilians. This weakened Cambodia's government and is a direct reason for the Cambodian Genocide which was orchestrated by Pol Pot. (68)