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Unit 7 Part 3 Impeachment. Impeachment. Besides death, disability or resignation the only way the President leaves the office is impeachment.
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Impeachment • Besides death, disability or resignation the only way the President leaves the office is impeachment. • Impeachment – gathering evidence and holding a trial to determine guilt of wrong doing. - “They are going through impeachment”; “They went through the impeachment process” THIS DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY!!!!
Impeachment • Article 1, Sections 2 and 3; Article II, Section 4; and Article III, Section 1- Impeachment in the Constitution • “The President, Vice President and all Civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
Impeachment • It is similar to a criminal trial: • The House of Representatives brings the formal charges/ accusations against the president. • The Senate Holds the trial and makes the judgment. • To be removed from office, must be convicted by a two-thirds vote of the Senate, which sits as a court, presided over by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. • 16 people have been impeached by the house and seven convicted by Senate.
Impeachment • Only two presidents have been impeached: • Andrew Johnson in 1868 • Bill Clinton in 1998 Resigned before Impeachment process: • Richard Nixon, in 1974, would have surely been impeached had he not resigned.
Presidential Impeachments Andrew Johnson 1868 Not Guilty Bill Clinton 1998 Not Guilty Richard Nixon 1974 – Resigned before impeachment could begin
Impeachment of Andrew Johnson • The case against Johnson was entirely political, Radical Republicans wished to punish the South after the Civil War. • They were angry at Johnson, a southerner, who had soft policies toward the South.
Johnson Vote Note: At this time it took 36 out of 54 Senate votes to reach the 2/3 majority.
The Impeachment of Bill Clinton • He was charged with perjury (lying under oath), obstruction of justice, and abuse of power. • The vote was passed by the House along Party lines • A majority, but not two-thirds, of the Senate voted to convict. • Why did he survive? • He was likable, economy was strong, nation was at peace, he was a centrist.
Richard M. Nixon • 37th President of the United States • Republican • Watergate and Tapes • Executive privilege and US vs. Nixon • Impeachment • Only House Judiciary • 3 Articles • Obstruction of Justice • Abuse of Power • Defiance of Subpoenas • Resignation
