High Crimes and Misdemeanors
Senate Historian Betty Koed talked about the standard of impeachment. She discusses the ambiguity and interpretation of the phrase "high crimes and misdemeanors."
Description
Senate Historian Betty Koed talked about the standard of impeachment. She discusses the ambiguity and interpretation of the phrase "high crimes and misdemeanors."
Bell Ringer Assignment
- Explain what Judge Hastings mean by "there is no standard" for impeachment.
- What are problems with the lack of clarity on the standards for impeachment for the Senate?
- Besides the President, who else does Congress have the power to impeach and convict?
Additional Resources
- Lesson Plan: Congress's Power of Impeachment
This lesson provides explanations of the Constitutional basis of the power, the process for removing officials and the history of impeachments and removing these officials from office. It also provides discussions on the standards of impeachments and how those are interpreted by Congress.
- Lesson Plan: Checks and Balances
The principle of checks and balances prevents one branch of government from becoming too powerful. Examples of checks and balances include vetoing of bill, ratifying treating, judicial review and others. This lesson provides video clips with examples and explanations of checks and balances.
Participants
Vocabulary
- Cabinet
- Constitution
- Double Jeopardy
- High Crimes And Misdemeanors
- Impeachment
- Judicial
- President
- Senate
- Trial