Impeachment: Meaning, Overview, and Examples

Impeachment: Meaning, Overview, and Examples

Key points
* Impeachment is the constitutional process by which Congress brings charges against high-ranking federal officers — including the president — for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”
* The House of Representatives has the sole power to impeach (bring charges); the Senate holds the trial and can convict and remove an official.
* Conviction in the Senate requires a two‑thirds vote; removal is the primary penalty, and the Senate may also disqualify the individual from future federal office.
* Historically, the House has initiated impeachment proceedings more than 60 times, resulting in about 20 impeachments; Senate convictions have been rare and have been limited mostly to federal judges.

What impeachment is
Impeachment is a political, not criminal, process. Constitutionally, it functions like an indictment: the House votes to charge an official, and if the House approves articles of impeachment by a simple majority, the matter proceeds to a Senate trial. Impeachment itself does not remove an official from office — only a conviction by the Senate does.

Constitutional basis
Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution states that the president, vice president, and “all civil officers of the United States” may be removed from office on impeachment and conviction for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” The phrase “high crimes and misdemeanors” has long been debated and is ultimately subject to interpretation by Congress.

Who can be impeached
* Explicitly named: the president and vice president.
* Broadly included: “civil officers” — historically interpreted to encompass federal judges (including Supreme Court justices) and cabinet members.
* Excluded by precedent: members of Congress and military officers subject to court‑martial under military law.

What counts as an impeachable offense
The Constitution lists treason and bribery and then the broader, intentionally open phrase “other high crimes and misdemeanors.” That ambiguity was deliberate; framers borrowed the term from British practice, which covered public‑official misconduct. Over time, Congress has interpreted the phrase politically: as Representative Gerald Ford famously put it, “An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history.”

How the process works
1. Investigation and resolution
* A House member or committee may introduce a resolution or request an inquiry.
* A House committee investigates and may recommend articles of impeachment.
2. House vote
* The full House debates and votes. A simple majority is required to adopt any article of impeachment.
* If adopted, the official is impeached (formally charged).
3. Senate trial
* The House appoints managers to present the case to the Senate.
* The Senate conducts a trial; when the president is tried, the chief justice of the Supreme Court presides.
* Conviction requires a two‑thirds majority of senators present.
4. Penalties
* Conviction leads to removal from office.
* By a separate, subsequent vote (simple majority), the Senate may also bar the convicted person from holding future federal office.
* There is no appellate process for impeachment; it is a political remedy.

Historical overview and statistics
* Since the founding, the House has initiated impeachment proceedings more than 60 times; roughly 20 proceedings resulted in formal impeachment.
* Ten of those 20 federal impeachment proceedings since 1799 occurred in the past 100 years.
* Impeached officials have included about 15 federal judges, three presidents, one senator, and a cabinet secretary.
* Outcomes have included multiple acquittals, judge convictions and removals, a handful of dismissals, and at least one resignation before a completed trial.
* All recorded Senate convictions at the federal level have been of judges; presidential impeachments have not resulted in conviction and removal.

Notable examples
* Andrew Johnson (impeached Feb. 24, 1868): The House impeached Johnson amid post–Civil War conflicts over Reconstruction and his vetoes of congressional legislation. The Senate acquitted him on May 16, 1868.
* Richard Nixon (resigned Aug. 8, 1974): Facing imminent impeachment over the Watergate scandal and with articles of impeachment pending, Nixon resigned before the House could vote.
* Bill Clinton (impeached 1998): The House impeached Clinton largely over charges related to his personal conduct and testimony; the Senate acquitted him.
* Donald Trump (impeached Dec. 18, 2019): The House approved two articles of impeachment — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — related to dealings with Ukraine. The articles were referred to the Senate on Jan. 16, 2020; the Senate acquitted the president in February 2020.

Why interpretations differ
The Constitution sets the framework but leaves significant discretion to Congress about what constitutes impeachable conduct. Political context, legal arguments, and historical precedent all shape impeachment debates, so each proceeding tends to be unique.

Bottom line
Impeachment is the constitutional mechanism for Congress to check high federal officials accused of serious misconduct. It is a two‑step political process (House charges, Senate trial) centered on removal from office and possible future disqualification. The precise scope of impeachable offenses remains intentionally flexible, so outcomes depend heavily on congressional majorities and political context.