Description Of Machiavelli's Ideal Ruler

Question: Give an example of a leader or political figure who embodies the descriptions of Machiavelli's ideal ruler. This person can be fictional or historical. Use textual evidence to support your argument.
Answer:
According to the text Machiavelli’s ideal ruler is someone who is ruthless and willing to be dishonest, to tell people what they want to hear rather than speaking the truth. The ideal figure head who fits this description would be President Nixon. During President Nixon’s term (January 20, 1969- August 9, 1974) Nixon had some great accomplishments like desegregating schools in the south, ending the war in Vietnam, and creating the Environmental Protection Agency and Clean Air Act. But besides his accomplishments our president was a crook and a liar. He put this

persona on that he was the most perfect guy, but in actuality he was not.
During Nixon’s term he led the nation through great moments, but behind all of his accomplishments he was a liar and a thief. Like mentioned above the ideal leader would have been somebody that was dishonest and only told people what they wanted to hear. During Nixon’s term he was accused of being involved in the infamous Watergate Scandal. The Watergate Scandal involved burglars who were caught trying to wiretap phones and steal secret documents from the Watergate building in Washing, D.C. Many questioned if Nixon had any involvement with the scandal, but because of his attempt to cover up the acts of crime it made him look suspicious. In the text it is mentioned that a prince has to know how to maintain himself and that is what Nixon tried to accomplish, but did not do so well with. The text reads, “Hence, if a prince wishes to maintain himself, he must learn how to be not good, and use that ability or not as is required.” (Pg.186). This quote explains what Nixon was doing during his presidential term. He was trying to make his bad habits and intentions seem like it was okay when it really was not.
Nixon’s term also proved that he went through great measures to cover up his wrong doings.

It is stated that Nixon had fundraisers to help fund money to cover up his involvement with the scandal as well as the actual burglars who committed the crime. Nixon also took steps of firing employees who did not cooperate with him and destroying the evidence before being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The text describes that a prince, or President, can be high and mighty one day and the next in ruins. The text says, “A prince may be seen prospering today and falling in ruin tomorrow, though it does not appear that he has changed his nature of any of his qualities.” (Pg.187, Chapter 25). This quote from the text describes Nixon and his rise and fall as the president. President Nixon was high and mighty with all of his accomplishments one day and the next everything he did didn’t matter because of the scandal.
In the end the truth was brought to the light that Nixon indeed did have a role in the Watergate Scandal. Nixon would be described as the ideal ruler because he gave and told the people what they wanted, but behind the title of president he was nothing but a lying

crook.