Unit 5 Executive Branch Impeachment What is Impeachment

Unit 5: Executive Branch Impeachment

What is Impeachment? l Impeachment is the process of removing senior public servants from office and it takes the form of a trial.

Who can be impeached? l The US Constitution states that a President, Vice President, senior civil servants and judges can be removed by the impeachment process.

Who can impeach the president? l The 435 members of the lower house of Congress, the House of Representatives, can decide whether he/she can be charged with impeachable offences, and the 100 members of the upper house, the Senate, must decide whether he/she is guilty. His/her sentence would be removal from office.

What is an impeachable offence? l The US Constitution states that a President, Vice President, senior civil servants and judges can be removed if found guilty of “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors” which are not defined.

Steps in the Impeachment Process l Step 1 l The US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee studies and makes sure that there is enough proof to have impeachment hearings, then they present all of their findings to the full House of Representatives.

Steps in the Impeachment Process l Step 2 l The US House of Representatives holds hearings and listens to testimonies from witnesses, if most of the members vote for impeachment, then it moves to the US Senate

Steps in the Impeachment Process l Step 3 l The United States Constitution in Article 1 Section 3, Clauses 6 and 7, gave the Senate the SOLE power to try all impeachments. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice presides.

Steps in the Impeachment Process l Step 4 l After all witnesses have been heard, the Senate will vote. The Constitution requires a two-thirds vote from the 100 members of the Senate, meaning 67 Senators will have to find the President guilty to remove him from office.

Have we convicted any impeached Presidents? l NO! l But we have tried! l President Andrew Johnson, who became President upon President Lincoln’s death, was brought up on 11 impeachment charges by the House of Representatives. He was found not guilty by 1 vote in the Senate.

Have we convicted any impeached Presidents? l President Richard Nixon l Resigned before the process was initiated. He surely would have been found guilty but, impeachment would have cost our nation a great deal, so he stepped down to avoid it.

Have we convicted any impeached Presidents? l President Bill Clinton l President Clinton was impeached on charges of perjury, but found not guilty by the Senate.

Sources l www. historylearningsite. co. uk/impeachme nt. htm l http: //library. thinkquest. org l Gwinnett County AKS