Author: Jon Meacham Publisher: Modern Library ISBN: 1984853791 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 304
Book Description
Four experts on the American presidency examine the three times impeachment has been invoked—against Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton—and explain what it means today. Impeachment is a double-edged sword. Though it was designed to check tyrants, Thomas Jefferson also called impeachment “the most formidable weapon for the purpose of a dominant faction that was ever contrived.” On the one hand, it nullifies the will of voters, the basic foundation of all representative democracies. On the other, its absence from the Constitution would leave the country vulnerable to despotic leadership. It is rarely used, and with good reason. Only three times has a president’s conduct led to such political disarray as to warrant his potential removal from office, transforming a political crisis into a constitutional one. None has yet succeeded. Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868 for failing to kowtow to congressional leaders—and, in a large sense, for failing to be Abraham Lincoln—yet survived his Senate trial. Richard Nixon resigned in August 1974 after the House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment against him for lying, obstructing justice, and employing his executive power for personal and political gain. Bill Clinton had an affair with a White House intern, but in 1999 he faced trial in the Senate less for that prurient act than for lying under oath about it. In the first book to consider these three presidents alone—and the one thing they have in common—Jeffrey A. Engel, Jon Meacham, Timothy Naftali, and Peter Baker explain that the basis and process of impeachment is more political than legal. The Constitution states that the president “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors,” leaving room for historical precedent and the temperament of the time to weigh heavily on each case. This book reveals the complicated motives behind each impeachment—never entirely limited to the question of a president’s guilt—and the risks to all sides. Each case depended on factors beyond the president’s behavior: his relationship with Congress, the polarization of the moment, and the power and resilience of the office itself. This is a realist view of impeachment that looks to history for clues about its potential use in the future.
Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on the Constitution Publisher: ISBN: Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 396
Author: Tom Ginsburg Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing ISBN: 0857931210 Category : Law Languages : en Pages : 681
Book Description
This landmark volume of specially commissioned, original contributions by top international scholars organizes the issues and controversies of the rich and rapidly maturing field of comparative constitutional law. Divided into sections on constitutional design and redesign, identity, structure, individual rights and state duties, courts and constitutional interpretation, this comprehensive volume covers over 100 countries as well as a range of approaches to the boundaries of constitutional law. While some chapters reference the text of legal instruments expressly labeled constitutional, others focus on the idea of entrenchment or take a more functional approach. Challenging the current boundaries of the field, the contributors offer diverse perspectives - cultural, historical and institutional - as well as suggestions for future research. A unique and enlightening volume, Comparative Constitutional Law is an essential resource for students and scholars of the subject.
Author: Frank O. Bowman III Publisher: Cambridge University Press ISBN: 1009401017 Category : Law Languages : en Pages : 637
Book Description
This book combines historical and constitutional analysis of impeachment in the UK and US with a lively new account of both Trump impeachments by a leading scholar whose writings and advice were influential in both cases. This second edition is the only comprehensive, up-to-date history of Anglo-American impeachment.
Author: Edmund G. Ross Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand ISBN: 9358595531 Category : Juvenile Nonfiction Languages : en Pages : 210
Book Description
The author of the book "History of the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson, President of the United States" is Kansas senator and politician Edmund G. Ross. In this historical work, Ross, who played a pivotal role in the impeachment trial as a swing vote, offers a firsthand perspective on the events and political climate surrounding Johnson's impeachment. Ross provides a thorough examination of the political, legal, and constitutional issues of the impeachment procedure. The book explores the tense relationship between President Johnson and the Republicans in Congress, who attempted to have him removed from office due to differences over Reconstruction policies after the American Civil War. Ross sheds light on the political scheming and heated discussions that took place at this pivotal time in American history by offering insights into the motives and methods of the major people involved. Readers of "History of the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson, President of the United States" get a useful historical overview of one of the most important impeachment proceedings in American history
Author: Elizabeth B. Bazan Publisher: DIANE Publishing ISBN: 1437922902 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 33
Book Description
Contents: (1) Introduction; (2) Background: The Constitutional Framework; Judicial Decisions Related to Impeachment; Some Basic Research Tools to Assist in Impeachment Proceedings; A Brief History and Some Preliminary Issues Relating to Impeachment; Who Are ¿Civil Officers of the United States¿ Under Article II, Sec. 4 of the Constitution?; What Kinds of Conduct May Give Rise to an Impeachment?; (3) Conclusions and Other Observations.
Author: Frank O. Bowman Publisher: Cambridge University Press ISBN: 1108481051 Category : Law Languages : en Pages : 481
Book Description
Explains impeachment from its English roots through 250 years of American constitutional experience, including the case against President Trump.
Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on the Constitution Publisher: ISBN: 9780160578298 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 394
Author: Frank O. Bowman III Publisher: Cambridge University Press ISBN: 1108574653 Category : Law Languages : en Pages : 481
Book Description
America frequently talks about impeaching a president, but the impeachment provisions of the American constitution are widely misunderstood. In High Crimes and Misdemeanors, constitutional scholar Frank O. Bowman, III offers unprecedented clarity to the question of impeachment, tracing its roots to medieval England through its adoption in the Constitution and 250 years of American experience. By examining the human and political history of those who have faced impeachment, Bowman demonstrates that the Framers intended impeachment to be a flexible tool, adaptable to the needs of any age. Written in a lively, engaging style, the book combines a deep historical and constitutional analysis of the impeachment clauses, a coherent theory of when impeachment should be used to protect constitutional order against presidential misconduct, and a comprehensive presentation of the case for and against impeachment of President Trump. It is an indispensable work for the present moment.