The Politics of Presidential Impeachment

Description

Argues that impeachment may no longer be an effective check on overreach by American presidents. The Politics of Presidential Impeachment takes a distinctive and fresh look at the impeachment provision of the US Constitution. Instead of studying it from a legal-constitutional perspective, the authors use a social science approach incorporating extensive case studies and quantitative analysis. Focusing on four presidents who faced impeachment processes―Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton―they examine the conditions under which presidential impeachment is likely to occur and argue that partisanship and the evolving relationship between Congress and the president determine its effectiveness as an institutional constraint. They find that, in our contemporary political context, the propensity of Congress to utilize the impeachment tool is more likely, but given the state of heightened partisanship, impeachment is less likely to result in removal of a president. The authors conclude that impeachment is no longer a credible threat and thus no longer an effective tool in the arsenal of checks and balances. The book also offers a postscript that discusses the impeachment of President Donald J. Trump. Contents Chapter One Impeachment: Safeguard or Political Weapon? American Impeachment’s English Roots Colonial Impeachment The Purpose of Impeachment Other Early Opinions on the Proper Use of Impeachment Presidential Impeachment Impeachment Today An Overview of This Book Chapter Two Methods: Analyzing Presidential Impeachment Methods of Study Theoretical Basis for Analysis Factors Potentially Influencing the Likelihood of a Presidential Impeachment Divided Government, Political Ideology, and Ideological Distance Opposition in the House of Representatives Opposition in the Senate Critical Policy Differences between the President and Congressional Leaders Presidential Success and the Use of Impeachment Time of National Crisis/Social Upheaval Presidential Popularity The Stage of the President’s Term The Types of Accusations against the President Accused of Criminal Behavior—Actual Accused of Illegal Behavior—Procedural Accused of Illegal Behavior—Political Hypotheses and Framework for Analysis Hypotheses Chapter Three The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson Johnson’s Life and Career Road to Impeachment The Midterm Election of 1866 Tensions Increase as Impeachment Nears Impeachment Impeachment Analysis 1. Opposite Party Control of the House 2. Opposite Party Control of the Senate 3. Critical Policy Differences between the President and Congressional Leaders 4. Time of National Crisis/Social Upheaval 5. Personal Animosity between the President and Congressional Leaders 6. Climate of Public Animosity toward the President 7. Accused of Criminal Behavior—Actual 8. Accused of Criminal Behavior—Political Why Was Johnson Impeached? Chapter Four The Impeachment and Resignation of Richard Nixon Why Impeachment Resurfaced Early Life and Career Presidential Election of 1960 Road Back to the Presidency The 1968 Election The Presidency Foreign Policy Conflicts Domestic Conflicts The Battle over the Supreme Court Impoundment Controversy Reelection Origins of the Watergate Scandal Senate Watergate Actions The Watergate Tapes Vice President Agnew’s Resignation Path to Impeachment What Did the President Know and When Did He Know It? Analysis 1. Opposite Party Control of the House 2. Opposite Party Control of the Senate 3. Important Policy Differences between the President and Congressional Leaders 4. Time of National Crisis or Social Unrest 5. Personal Animosity between the President and Congressional Leaders 6. Climate of Public Animosity toward the President 7. The President Accused of Criminal Behavior—Actual 8. The President Accused of Criminal Behavior—Political Was the Watergate Cover-up an Impeachable Offense? Chapter Five Ronald Reagan and the Iran-Contra Affair Governor of the Golden State The Politics of the Presidency: The First Two Years The October Surprise and the 1980 Campaign The Reagan Presidency The 1982 Midterm Election Reelection The 1986 Midterm Election: Threats to the Nation and the Origins of Iran-Contra Origins of Iran-Contra: An Impeachable Offense? Investigation by Independent Counsel Congressional Investigations of Iran-Contra Aiding the Contras The Stillborn Impeachment of President Reagan Analysis—Why No Impeachment? 1. Opposite Party Control of the House 2. Opposite Party Control of the Senate 3. Important Policy Differences between the President and Congressional Leaders 4. Time of National Crisis or Social Unrest 5. Personal Animosity between the President and Congressional Leaders 6. Climate of Public Animosity toward the President 7. The President Accused of Criminal Behavior—Actual 8. The President Accused of Criminal Behavior—Political Why Wasn’t President Reagan Impeached for Iran-Contra? Chapter Six The Impeachment of Bill Clinton The Formative Years Impeachment and the Presidential Character Bill Clinton Becomes Governor of Arkansas The First Presidential Election The Clinton Presidency: A Centrist in the White House The Second Term: Entrenched in the Center Taking on Congress Seeds of the Whitewater Scandal The House Moves to Impeach The Senate Trial Analysis—Why No Conviction? 1. Opposite Party Control of the House 2. Opposite Party Control of the Senate 3. Important Policy Differences between the President and Congressional Leaders 4. Time of National Crisis or Social Unrest 5. Personal Animosity between the President and Congressional Leaders 6. Climate of Public Animosity toward the President 7. The President Accused of Criminal Behavior—Actual 8. The President Accused of Criminal Behavior—Political Should Bill Clinton Have Been Impeached? Chapter Seven Conclusion: The Politics of Impeachment Presidential Impeachments: Qualitative Analysis Other Influences on Impeachment The Johnson Impeachment The Nixon Impeachment Iran-Contra and the Reluctance to Impeach The Clinton Impeachment and Trial Presidential Impeachments: Quantitative Analysis Divided Government Ideological Differences between Congress and the President Presidents in Their Final Terms Accused of Illegal Behavior—Procedural All Other Factors The Future of Presidential Impeachments The Rise of the Impeachment Era Final Thoughts—On Impeachment, the Constitution Is Flawed Postscript The Trump Impeachment Opposite Party House Control Opposite Party Senate Control Critical Policy Difference between the President and Congressional Leaders Time of National Crisis/Social Upheaval Personal Animosity between President and Congressional Leaders Climate of Public Animosity toward the President Accused of Criminal Behavior—Actual Accused of Criminal Behavior—Procedural Accused of Criminal Behavior—Political The Meaning of the Trump Impeachment and Trial Notes Index