If You're Curious About These Questions...
You should listen to this audiobook
- Have you ever wondered why the Framers of the Constitution viewed impeachment as a critical 'safety valve' for democracy, and what specific disasters they were trying to prevent?
- Did you know that the impeachment proceedings of Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton each revealed a different, hidden vulnerability in the American presidency?
- Are you curious about how centuries-old debates from the American Revolution still dictate the rules for removing a president from office today?
Listen to Impeachment — Free Audiobook
Loading player...
Key Takeaways from Impeachment
- Discover why the Founding Fathers reluctantly created the presidency to stabilize a chaotic, post-Revolutionary America while simultaneously designing impeachment to prevent a return to monarchy.
- Understand why the Framers intentionally left the phrase 'high crimes and misdemeanors' vague, allowing Congress to remove corrupt leaders even if they haven't committed an actual statutory crime.
- Learn how the intentionally complicated, two-chamber impeachment process was designed to demand utmost gravity and reflection before subverting the will of the voters.
- Find out how Andrew Johnson's 1868 impeachment established the historical precedent that a president cannot be removed from office simply for being an insufferable or highly unpopular politician.
- Explore the historical details of America's first three impeachment crises involving Johnson, Nixon, and Clinton, and see how each dramatic event led to lasting changes in the US government.
Impeachment — Full Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: Recommendation
Chapter 2: Though wary of monarchs, the Framers accepted that an executive branch was needed to control the chaos.
Chapter 3: The Framers purposely crafted impeachment as a vague, complex safeguard against corrupt future presidents.
Chapter 4: Andrew Johnson’s 1868 impeachment proved that Congress can’t oust a president merely for being insufferable.
Chapter 5: Nixon’s impeachment crisis compelled Congress to refine the impeachment process and to establish new limits on executive privilege.
Chapter 6: Clinton’s impeachment served as a further referendum on executive privilege, and on shifting public views of morality.
Chapter 7: Impeachment results from a poisonously partisan political climate; bipartisanship is essential to guide the nation through it.
Impeachment Summary & Overview
Impeachment (2018) details how the Framers of the US Constitution envisioned the process of removing a president, and how the three impeachment proceedings prior to Trump’s have played out. Spanning the years right after the American Revolution to the late twentieth century, Impeachment looks at how the Framers imagined impeachment as a safety valve for democracy, as well as how Congress used impeachment to sanction Presidents Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton.
Who Should Listen to Impeachment?
- News junkies who’ve read every think piece about the Trump impeachment
- History hounds obsessed with the American experiment
- Anyone looking for a better grasp on current US affairs
Books Similar to Impeachment
Readers who enjoyed this also liked these titles.
Presidents of War
★ 4.5 / 5 • 80 ratingsThe epic story, from 1807 to modern times
Donald Trump v. The United States
★ 3.8 / 5 • 66 ratingsInside the Struggle to Stop a President
The American Presidency
★ 4.2 / 5 • 40 ratingsA Very Short Introduction
The Situation Room
★ 3.8 / 5 • 92 ratingsThe Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis