The Age of Impeachment

by Kyvig, David E.

• ISBN13: 9780700615810
• ISBN10: 0700615814
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-04-28
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Kansas

Summary

In this magisterial new work, Bancroft Prize--winning historian David Kyvig chronicles the rise of a culture of impeachment since 1960--one that extends far beyond the infamous scandals surrounding Presidents Richard Nixon (Watergate) and Bill Clinton (Monica Lewinsky) and has dramatically altered the face of American politics. A buzz word in today's public life, "impeachment" was anything but that before 1960. Since then it has been transformed from a historically little-known and little-used tool of last resort into a political weapen of choice. By examining the details and consequences of impeachment episodes involving three Supreme Court justices, a vice president, five federal judges, and four presidents, Kyvig explores this seismic shift in our constitutional culture and gauges its ongoing implications for American political life. Beginning with the John Birch Society's campaign against Chief Justice Earl Warren, impeachment efforts became far more frequent after 1960, with eight actually ending in resignation or removal. In describing these efforts, Kyvig recounts stories and subplots about key political actors and the controversies they inspired. He argues that judicial cases are as important as the better-known presidential ones and shows why those cases that did not proceed--against not only Warren, but also Abe Fortas, William O. Douglas, Spiro Agnew, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush--are as illuminating as those that did. Kyvig demonstrates that impeachment has been the bellwether of a changing--and increasingly toxic--political climate. Perhaps most important and ominous, the increasing threat of impeachment has encouraged presidents to hide potentially impeachable actionsbehind a thick veil of executive secrecy, while dramatically expanding executive power beyond the reach of either Congress or the courts. Combining political and legal history at their best, Kvyig also explores the cultural impact of journalist David Frost, editorial cartoonist Herblock, and filmmakers Alan Pakula, Robert Altman, and Oliver Stone. A gifted storyteller, he presents a cautionary tale that should be read by all who care about our national government and its ability to survive and thrive in perilous times.

Author Biography

David E. Kyvig is Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of History at Northern Illinois.

Table of Contents

Impeachment Evolves	p. 9
Impeachment as Exceptional: The Case of Earl Warren	p. 35
Impeachment as Political: The Case of Abe Fortas	p. 61
Impeachment as Partisan: The Case of William 0. Douglas	p. 87
Impeachment as Discretionary: The Case of Spiro Agnew	p. 113
Impeachment as Essential: The Case of Richard Nixon	p. 141
Impeachment as Routine: Pardons, Powers, Prosecutors, and Judicial Self-Policing	p. 178
Impeachment as Cultural: Shaping Public Conclusions	p. 203
Impeachment as Distasteful: The Case of Ronald Reagan	p. 231
Impeachment as Inexorable: The Cases of Harry Claiborne and Walter Nixon	p. 267
Impeachment as Irreversible but Not Fatal: The Case of Alcee Hastings	p. 288
Impeachment as Consensual: The Case of Bill Clinton	p. 310
Impeachment as Conventional: Expressions of Public Scorn	p. 354
The Age of Impeachment: Ended or Extended?	p. 383
Notes	p. 407
Bibliography	p. 445
Index	p. 471
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