This week, in anticipation of the 150th anniversary of the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson on Feb. 24, we look at the history of presidential impeachments, the interpretation of the Impeachment Clause, and its application to current day controversies.
Joining us to discuss this important historical episode are two of America’s leading scholars on the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson.
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David O. Stewart is a writer, historian, and former appellate lawyer. He is the author of many books including Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln’s Legacy.
Keith Whittington is the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Politics at Princeton University. He co-wrote the IC explainers on the Impeachment Clause with Neil Kinkopf.
Jeffrey Rosen is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Constitution Center, the only institution in America chartered by Congress “to disseminate information about the United States Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” He is also a professor at The George Washington University Law School, and a contributing editor for The Atlantic.
Related Decisions and Documents
- Articles of Impeachment against President Andrew Johnson, Approved by the U.S. House of Representatives March 2-3, 1868
- Opinion in Myers v. United States, 272 U.S. 52 (1926), U.S. Supreme Court, October 25, 1926
- Opinion in Humphrey's Executor v. United States, 295 U.S. 602 (1935), U.S. Supreme Court, May 27, 1935
- Opinion in United States v. Nixon, 418 U.S. 683 (1974), U.S. Supreme Court, July 24, 1974
- Articles of Impeachment against President Richard M. Nixon, Adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary July 27, 1974
- Opinion in Clinton v. Jones, 520 U.S. 681 (1997), U.S. Supreme Court, May 27, 1997
- Articles of Impeachment against President William J. Clinton, Adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary December 16, 1998
Additional Resources
Our Interactive Constitution is the leading digital resource about the debates and text behind the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. Here, scholars from across the legal and philosophical spectrum interact with each other to explore the meaning of each provision of our founding document.
Common Interpretation
The Impeachment Clause By Neil J. Kinkopf and Keith E. Whittington
Matters of Debate
The Scope of the Impeachment Power: What are “High Crimes and Misdemeanors”? By Neil J. Kinkopf
Balancing Independence and Accountability in Impeachable Offenses By Keith E. Whittington
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