LibGuides: What is Impeachment?: Books & eBooks

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An Affair of State: The Investigation, Impeachment, and Trial of President Clinton President Bill Clinton's year of crisis, which began when his affair with Monica Lewinsky hit the front pages in January 1998, engendered a host of important questions of criminal and constitutional law, public and private morality, and political and cultural conflict. In a book written while the events of the year were unfolding, Richard Posner presents a balanced and scholarly understanding of the crisis that also has the freshness and immediacy of journalism. Posner clarifies the issues and eliminates misunderstandings concerning facts and the law that were relevant to the investigation by Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr and to the impeachment proceeding itself. He explains the legal definitions of obstruction of justice and perjury, which even many lawyers are unfamiliar with. He carefully assesses the conduct of Starr and his prosecutors, including their contacts with the lawyers for Paula Jones and their hardball tactics with Monica Lewinsky and her mother. He compares and contrasts the Clinton affair with Watergate, Iran-Contra, and the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, exploring the subtle relationship between public and private morality. And he examines the place of impeachment in the American constitutional scheme, the pros and cons of impeaching President Clinton, and the major procedural issues raised by both the impeachment in the House and the trial in the Senate. This book, reflecting the breadth of Posner's experience and expertise, will be the essential foundation for anyone who wants to understand President Clinton's impeachment ordeal.
The Age of Impeachment: American Constitutional Culture Since 1960 In this magisterial new work, historian David Kyvig chronicles the rise of a culture of impeachment since 1960--one that extends far beyond the infamous scandals surrounding Presidents Richard Nixon (Watergate) and Bill Clinton (Monica Lewinsky) and has dramatically altered the face of American politics. A buzz word in today's public life, "impeachment" was anything but that before 1960. Since then it has been transformed from a historically little-known and little-used tool of last resort into a political weapon of choice. By examining the details and consequences of impeachment episodes involving three Supreme Court justices, a vice president, five federal judges, and four presidents, Kyvig explores this seismic shift in our constitutional culture and gauges its ongoing implications for American political life. Beginning with the John Birch Society's campaign against Chief Justice Earl Warren, impeachment efforts became far more frequent after 1960, with eight actually ending in resignation or removal. In describing these efforts, Kyvig recounts stories and subplots about key political actors and the controversies they inspired. He argues that judicial cases are as important as the better-known presidential ones and shows why those cases that did not proceed--against not only Warren, but also Abe Fortas, William O. Douglas, Spiro Agnew, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush--are as illuminating as those that did. Kyvig demonstrates that impeachment has been the bellwether of a changing--and increasingly toxic--political climate. Perhaps most important and ominous, the increasing threat of impeachment has encouraged presidents to hide potentially impeachable actions behind a thick veil of executive secrecy, while dramatically expanding executive power beyond the reach of either Congress or the courts. Combining political and legal history at their best, Kyvig also explores the cultural impact of journalist David Frost, editorial cartoonist Herblock, and filmmakers Alan Pakula, Robert Altman, and Oliver Stone. A gifted storyteller, he presents a cautionary tale that should be read by all who care about our national government and its ability to survive and thrive in perilous times.
A Citizen's Guide to Impeachment A detailing of the precise nature of impeachment law, by a respected attorney and legal scholar. The book includes a study of the language of the law and its precise grounds and repercussions; how the founding fathers based US impeachment rules on British law; and a history of the law's application in American history, including details of the 18 cases of impeachment that have taken place (of judges and legislators as well as several presidents).
Defining Documents in American History: Watergate by Michael Shally-Jensen (Editor) The term "Watergate" has become synonymous with political corruption, intrigue and scandal, but what were the details of the events from 1972-1974 that led to the scandal becoming so well-known and climactic that it led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, and has reverberated throughout the years ever since? From the events leading up to the wiretapping of the Democratic Party's headquarters in 1972, to the investigative reporting of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein and others that exposed the scandal to the general public, to Nixon's eventual resignation after the "smoking gun" audiotape revealed the depth of his involvement, the Watergate scandal dominated the American consciousness and added to a growing sense of public mistrust during the 1970s. Details of the scandal were further entrenched with the release of Woodward and Bernstein's non-fiction book All the President's Men (1974) and subsequent movie adaptation in 1976, as well as Nixon's own infamous interview with British journalist David Frost in 1977. It set the benchmark for scandals to come, with the "-gate" suffix becoming part of popular culture in relation to naming other corrupt, generally political, events. This volume explores the development of the scandal, its exposure and aftermath, and lingering effect on American politics. Documents examined include articles, committee transcripts, legislative debates, speeches, historical accounts, court cases, and more.
Defining Documents in World History: Treason - Volumes 1 & 2 The list of people convicted of treason against the U.S. is actually void of famous names such as Benedict Arnold and Julius and Ethel Rosenberg – who, while treacherous and treasonous in their own rights, were never legally convicted of that crime – but does contain names such as Aaron Burr, John Fries (leader of Fries' Rebellion), John Brown (perpetrator in the Harpers Ferry raid), and numerous individuals convicted of defecting to Nazi Germany during WWII. In fact, the last conviction for treason in the U.S. was in 1952. This set expands its coverage to look at acts of treason throughout history and around the world. Chapters also look at tyrannical governments’ attempts to label their enemies as treasonous. Individuals and events covered include Canada’s Louis Riel; Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI of France; Adolph Hitler; the anti-Nazi White Rose Movement; the July 20, 1944 attempted assassination of Hitler; Great Britain’s Thomas Paine; Nelson Mandela and the 1956 Treason Trial in South Africa; among many others. These volumes explore the history of treasonous acts in the United States from the country’s founding to present. Documents examined include charters, constitutions, legislative debates, political speeches, historical accounts, court cases, modern-day articles, and more.
Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and The Fight for Lincoln's Legacy By the author of "The Summer of 1787" comes a dramatic re-creation of the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson, which became the central battle of the struggle over how to reunite a nation after four years of war.
Impeachment: A Citizen's Guide Cass Sunstein considers actual and imaginable arguments for a president's removal, explaining why some cases are easy and others hard, why some arguments for impeachment are judicious and others not. In direct and approachable terms, he dispels the fog surrounding impeachment so that all Americans may use their ultimate civic authority wisely.
Impeachment: What Everyone Needs to Know Impeachment: What Everyone Needs to Know is the step back and deep reflection on the law of impeachment that everyone needs now. Written in an accessible and lively question-and-answer format, it offers a timely explanation of the impeachment process from its very meaning to its role in politics today. The book defines the scope of impeachable offenses, and how the Constitution provides alternative procedures and sanctions for addressing misconduct in office. It explains why the only two presidential impeachments, those of Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, failed to lead to conviction, and how the impeachments of federal judges illuminate the law and politics of the process. As a legal expert and the only joint witness in the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton, author Michael J. Gerhardt also explores a question frequently asked - will Donald Trump be impeached? This book does not take a side in the debate over the possible impeachment of the president; instead, it is a primer for anyone eager to learn about impeachment's origins, practices, limitations, and alternatives.
The Impeachment Process The impeachment process is one of the most serious government proceedings in the United States. It can result in the trial and conviction of a U.S. president and immediate removal from office. Despite all the drama, intrigue, and gravity that surround this remarkable judicial process, impeachment is not well understood by most Americans. The Impeachment Process, Updated Edition is an invaluable guide that dispels common myths while setting forth a clear definition of what it means for a president to be impeached. Features such as full-color photographs, sidebars, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading enhance the readable text, making the complex mechanisms of the impeachment process accessible to readers.
To End a Presidency: The Power of Impeachment As Congress prepares articles of impeachment of President Trump, read the definitive book on presidential impeachment and how it should be used today. Impeachment is our ultimate constitutional check against an out-of-control executive. But it is also a perilous and traumatic undertaking for the nation. In this authoritative examination, Laurence Tribe and Joshua Matz rise above the daily clamor to illuminate impeachment's proper role in our age of broken politics. To End a Presidency is an essential book for anyone seeking to understand how this fearsome power should be deployed.
Watergate and the Resignation of Richard Nixon Thirty years have passed since President Nixon's resignation, yet, the impact of the "Watergate" scandal continues to affect the institutional power of the American chief executive. Through documents and analytical essays, this timely collection places the Watergate crisis in perspective, providing a cogent and balanced analysis of the development and consequences of an event that has overshadowed Nixon's legacy and permanently altered the country's perceptions of politics. Watergate threatened the very constitutional order of the nation, and continues to this day to affect the public's attitudes about the presidency, America's political culture, the mass media's coverage of politics, the separation of powers, and the investigation of high-level misconduct in the federal government. Twelve topical essays written by presidential scholars cover these themes and examine the impact of the crisis over time. Primary source materials, including transcripts from oral interviews, Nixon's speeches, letters, the infamous Watergate tapes, excerpts from testimony and hearings in Congress, the proposed articles of impeachment, and more are all put in context with explanatory headnotes. Watergate and the Resignation of Richard Nixon will explain: How public opinion and attitudes about politics changed after Watergate; How the balance of power between the three branches of government has been altered by the crisis; How succeeding presidents have been affected by the legacy of Watergate; Why mass media coverage of politics changed after Watergate; What impact the crisis had on America's relations with the rest of the world.