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.
Ep 3:
Tyler's Defiance, Johnson's Trial
From Tyler's defiant 'I am the president' to Johnson's razor-thin Senate acquittal, early impeachment battles reveal how politics and principle collide in the presidency.
Ep 4:
Nixon's Tapes, Clinton's Trap
Nixon's secret tapes doom his presidency while Clinton's private scandal spirals into public impeachment—two very different tests of accountability and survival.
Ep 5:
Twice Impeached: A Nation Divided
Trump's historic double impeachment exposes deep partisan rifts, as Hamilton's warnings about factionalism ring true and America's unity faces its toughest constitutional test.
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 · 9 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
