US Presidents' Impeachment
The ultimate test of power and accountability
4.5 (23)
48 mins
Explore the origins and practice of impeachment, grounded in Franklin’s belief. Discover how high crimes and misdemeanors became a flexible standard tested across presidents from Tyler to Trump.
Ep 1:
Franklin's Gambit: Forging Impeachment
Inside Philadelphia's 1787 debates, Franklin and Madison wrestle with how to remove a tyrant without destroying the republic, birthing the fateful phrase 'high crimes and misdemeanors.'
Ep 2:
The Riddle of High Crimes
Centuries later, scholars still argue over what 'high crimes' truly means, as Trump's first impeachment tests the Constitution's ambiguous machinery and historic precedents.
Discussions (15)
Willie
Level 7 · 8 mo agoMadison was right. Maladministration is too vague and would let Congress remove a President on a whim.
Ella
Level 5 · 9 mo agoYou're right, Nixon quit before the vote. XD
Christine
Level 10 · 8 mo agoRomney really was the ONLY Republican to vote to convict. The host is right! It proves the rest are fake. I can barely stomach their behavior
