Impeaching the President (eBook, EPUB)

"Impeaching the President is lucid, balanced, and deeply informed. Anyone in search of a reasoned guide to the unreason of our current situation should read it."—Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction

"Ousting a president is a complicated and uncertain endeavor, according to this perceptive study of impeachments. … [This book] shrewdly assesses the impeachability of President Trump based on his alleged offenses . … Hirsch's lucid prose and careful analysis make the book a fine corrective to cavalier popular rhetoric surrounding discussions of impeachment."— Publishers Weekly

"A masterpiece for the masses."—Ralph Nader

"Amid the partisan passion, an illuminating primer of analysis and context lowers the temperature on this hot-button issue. . . . A cogent analysis that builds a common-sense case for proceeding with caution and against using impeachment as a partisan weapon."—Kirkus Reviews

" The reader gets a hearty mix of American history, political intrigue, and constitutional law, all adhered with Hirsch's amazing writing. He captures the political chaos surrounding each prior case, yanking the reader out of our present exceptionalism to see the evolution of impeachment with the proper context and clarity. Can't recommend it enough."—Travis Cohen, Brookline Booksmith, MA

"In an era when the notion of impeachment is tossed around as the ultimate political indictment, Alan Hirsch guides us with a steady hand through our own history to consider the three presidents who faced that ultimate punishment. This is a sober, precise, and carefully argued analysis that should be read by every member of Congress—and every president."—David K. Shipler, former reporter for the New York Times and Pulitzer Prize recipient

"Alan Hirsch brings clarity, wisdom, and wit to a contentious and critical subject. Impeaching the President is must reading for all concerned citizens."—Howard Shapiro, former FBI General Counsel

"Incredibly readable, well-researched, analytically sound and important."—Alan B. Morrison, Associate Dean for Public Interest & Public Service at the George Washington Law School

Donald J. Trump is only the third president in U.S. history to be impeached.

Constitutional scholar Alan Hirsch offers clear and to-the-point guidance for all matters relating to removing a sitting president, including: the Founders' vision for checking presidential power; the impeachment stories of presidents Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton; wrongdoing in the Trump administration; and the availability of the 25th Amendment and presidential self-pardon.

Illustrated throughout with historical engravings, photographs, and other impeachment documentation, this concise, timely, and accessible analysis offers an invaluable perspective on how the Constitution provides stability during times of political upheaval.

An historical look at the practice of impeachment, how it impacted the terms of Presidents Johnson, Nixon, and Clinton, and how it may affect Donald Trump.

Introduction

Chapter 1: First Principles

Chapter 2: Andrew Johnson Survives

Chapter 3: Down Goes Nixon

Chapter 4: The Clinton Predicament

Chapter 5: “Unable to Discharge”

Chapter 6: Lessons

Chapter 7: The Case of Trump

Conclusion

Endnotes

About the Author

 Alan Hirsch received his BA from Amherst College and JD from Yale Law School.  He is the chair of the Justice and Law Studies program at Williams College.  Alan has authored several books, including For The People: What the Constitution Really Says About Your Rights (Free Press) (coauthored with Akhil Amar) and A Citizen's Guide to Impeachment (Basic Books), The Duke of Wellington, Kidnapped! (Counterpoint). His work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, Newsday among many other places.