Congress for Kids: [Executive Branch]: Word Spy

Executive Branch

Introduction The President President's Job, Part I President's Job, Part II President's Cabinet President and Congress Impeachment President Has Fun

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The Constitution says a President can be impeached for "high crimes and misdemeanors," but it doesn't define the term. Who decides what that means?

Can the impeachment proceedings continue over from one Congress to the next? How does Congress initiate and conduct the process of impeachment?

Can impeachment be used against a former President? What about against Members of Congress?

The History Place: Presidential Impeachment Proceedings

Impeachment

Uncle Sam, the word spy, wants you to take a minute and test your knowledge.

Match the word(s) in the left-hand column to complete the questions or statements in the right-hand column. Check your answers.

Impeachment	A. Removal of a government official for wrong-doing
House of Representatives	B. Holds trial to determine guilt in impeachment trials
Chief Justice	C. Starts impeachment process
Senate	D. The United States Constitution in Article 1, Section 3-clauses 6 and 7- gave the Senate the sole power to try all impeachments. When the President of the United States is tried, the _________ presides.
Andrew Johnson	E. ________ is listed in the constitution as a reason for impeachment of a President, Vice President, or other civil officers.
Treason	F. Who was the first president to be impeached?

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Of thirty-five attempts at impeachment, only nine have come to trial. Because it cripples Congress with a lengthy trial, impeachment is infrequent. Many officials, seeing the writing on the wall, resign rather than face the ignominy of a public trial. The most famous of these cases is of course that of President Richard Nixon, a Republican.

Projects You Can Do

Write journal entries discussing what you know about the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton, the punishment that you feel he should have received, and and how you feel about the punishment he did receive.

Read "If Impeachment Seems Strange, Just Wait for the Trial."

Create a timeline of the steps of Congress.

Summarize a newspaper article about President Clinton's impeachment proceedings; write a brief comparison essay examining how this article presents information about the impeachment proceedings.

Awards