The Impeachment Power: The Law, Politics, and Purpose of an Extraordinary Constitutional Tool

An essential primer on impeachment for today’s divided public square

We are witnessing an unprecedented moment in American politics in which impeachments are increasingly common. In today’s partisan environment, it is more vital than ever that government officials, scholars, and ordinary citizens understand what an impeachment can reasonably be expected to accomplish. In this incisive and accessible book, Keith Whittington provides needed clarity on the constitutional power of impeachment, explaining why it exists and how it should be used to preserve American democracy.

Drawing insights from American and British history, congressional practice, and the language of the Constitution itself, Whittington shows how impeachment is a tool for checking abuses of elective office and defending constitutional norms. While we have come to associate impeachment with the presidency, it can be used to remedy gross misconduct by an array of officers of the federal government. Whittington cautions against abusing this immense and consequential power to settle political scores, demonstrating how it undermines the independence of the branches and makes Congress the seat of political power.

Required reading for the informed citizen, The Impeachment Power argues that impeachment is ultimately a political instrument and gives us the perspective we need to recognize when an impeachment might be useful and when we are better served by looking for alternative ways to solve our political problems.

Keith E. Whittington is the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Politics at Princeton University and a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution. His books include Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech and Political Foundations of Judicial Supremacy: The Presidency, the Supreme Court, and Constitutional Leadership in U.S. History (both Princeton).