Question

Imagine you were in the US senate in 1868. How would you vote on President Johnson's impeachment? Discuss the reasons behind your decision

Answer 1

The President of the United States is expected to carry out certain duties by upholding the country’s constitution. The president must follow various rules and use the authority vested in him or her carefully. If the president abuses his or her power for personal benefit, ignoring responsibilities toward the nation, the US House of Representatives has the authority to impeach the president. In other words, the House can level a charge of misconduct against the president, thereby accusing the president of not fulfilling his or her responsibilities. Given below are the various steps in the impeachment process:

A member or members of the House of Representative initiate the impeachment process by leveling a written charge or resolution against the president, and placing it in the hopper.

The House Judiciary Committee studies the resolution in detail. After the analysis, the committee decides if the president’s actions are indeed wrong enough to demand a full investigation into the matter.

The House of Representatives votes in favor of or against the investigation. If the majority votes are in favor of the impeachment enquiry, the process moves ahead.

The House Judiciary Committee carries out a full investigation of the problem in order to find evidence to support the impeachment.

The Committee then prepares formal charges against the president with the help of the evidence (if it finds any evidence).

Once again, the House of Representatives votes in favor of or against the charges. If the majority votes are in favor of a trial, the case is referred to the US Senate.

The Senate carries out a fair trial for the president. The Chief Justice presides over the proceedings of this trial. The president has the right to choose a prosecutor of his or her choice.

By the end of the trial, all the Senators vote either in favor of or against the president. If two thirds of the Senators (67 out of 100) conclude that the president is guilty of the charges, the president is terminated permanently. The vice president then takes over the responsibilities of the formal president.

Given below are the possible reasons for impeachment:

if the president accepts bribes

if the president commits any act of treason

if the president commits any high crimes and misdemeanors (such as misappropriation of money)

Examples of a president who faced impeachment:

In 1868, President Andrew Johnson defied the Tenure of Office Act, and terminated the services of the Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton without the approval and confirmation of the US Senate. Therefore, an impeachment process was carried out against Johnson. However, he was declared not guilty by the Senate after the votes against him fell short of the two-thirds majority that was required. I would have voted against President Johnson in this case because his actions were clearly unconstitutional.

Step-by-step explanation:

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Answer 2

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Step-by-step explanation:

Brief History of the Case

During the years immediately following the Civil War, President Andrew Johnson clashed repeatedly with the Republican-controlled Congress over reconstruction of the defeated South. Johnson vetoed legislation that Congress passed to protect the rights of those who had been freed from slavery. This clash culminated in the House of Representatives voting, on February 24, 1868, to impeach the president. On March 5, the trial began in the Senate, where Republicans held more seats than the two-thirds majority required to remove Johnson from office. When the trial concluded on May 16, however, the president had won acquittal, not because a majority of senators supported his policies but because a sufficient minority wished to protect the office of the president and preserve the constitutional balance of powers.