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UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Author: William Kehen, PhD. Columbia University 1996
Impeachment In
the United States the impeachment process has rarely been employed,
largely because it is so cumbersome. It can occupy Congress for a
lengthy period of time, fill thousands of pages of testimony, and
involve conflicting and troublesome political pressures. Repeated
attempts in the U.S. Congress to amend the procedure, however, have been
unsuccessful, partly because impeachment is regarded as an integral part
of the system of checks and balances in the U.S. government.
Andrew Johnson was the first U.S. president ever impeached. In 1868 he
was charged with attempting to remove, contrary to statute, the
secretary of war, Edwin M. Stanton, with inducing a general of the army
to violate an act of Congress, and with contempt of Congress. Johnson
was acquitted by a margin of a single vote. In 1974 the Judiciary
Committee of the House of Representatives voted three articles of
impeachment against President Richard M. Nixon, but he resigned before
impeachment proceedings in the full House could begin. In December 1998
the House of Representatives voted to impeach President William J.
Clinton, charging him with perjury and obstruction of justice in
investigations of his relationship with a White House intern, Monica
Lewinsky. In the trial, the Senate voted not guilty on the perjury
charge (55-45) and not guilty on the obstruction of justice charge
(50-50); since 67 guilty votes are needed for a conviction, President
Clinton was acquitted. Every U.S. state except Oregon provides for the removal of executive and judicial officers by impeachment. Exact procedures vary somewhat from state to state, but they are all similar to federal impeachment.
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