Final answer:
Executive privilege is the power that allows the president to withhold information. It was limited in the Watergate scandal case when Nixon was ordered to hand over tapes and resigned.
Step-by-step explanation:
Executive privilege is the power that allows the president to withhold information from the public, Congress, and the courts for matters of national security. It was first claimed by George Washington when Congress requested to see Chief Justice John Jay's notes from a treaty negotiation. The use of executive privilege was limited in the Watergate scandal case when Richard Nixon was ordered to hand over recorded tapes and eventually resigned. Bill Clinton also asserted executive privilege in the Monica Lewinsky case. The Supreme Court has stated that executive privilege can't be used to avoid prosecution or civil suits.