Impeachment in the United States

Jeeze . . . don't you know how to use a search engine?

Article Two, Section Four, reads, in its entirety:

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

The two impeachments we've had so far have both been very political in nature with very little "high crimes" involved. In a practical sense, the only limitation seems to be the integrity of the House.

Best answer!

Setanta-
Than you.

I'm not sure what was meant by "high crimes and misdemeanors." Perhaps engineer is right...whatever the House of Representatives decide upon. I think it has included drunkenness.

I suspect the "high crimes and misdemeanors" was a catch-all phrase used by the framers to provide a rubric for indictment if a president (or other government officer) were considered too overbearing, but hadn't accepted bribes nor betrayed the country. I usually don't believe others who claim to know what the framers were thinking, so i will offer no assurances on that point.

I agree. I believe the constitutionally operative language is in the procedure itself outlined in the Constitution for such impeachments - charges in the House; trial in the Senate.