*80 points*

needs to be done by the 11th of march.

will someone write this for me?

project: impeachment

the leader of a nation has a lot of expectations to live up to. a leader should display:

honesty

integrity

patriotism

humility

citizens expect these traits in a leader, in order to have confidence in the direction they are being led. they need to know that their leader is guiding them along a path of strength, not weakness. and, they need to know their leader is not above the law. so, what happens to a country when the leader betrays the trust given to that person?

in our nation's history, three presidents have faced articles of impeachment due to behavior unworthy of their higher calling. the constitution spells out the acts that can get a president impeached. america's founders placed such safeguards in our most sacred document.

objectives

explain what the constitution has to say about impeaching the president.

understand the procedure for impeachment.

analyze the three men who have faced articles of impeachment.

design an argument that supports a claim regarding the impeachment of a president.

the law of the land

before you can understand whether an impeachment of a president was justified, you will need a better understanding of the rules of impeachment. to obtain that, you will need to read and understand the first two articles of the constitution. the rules of impeachment are found in article i, section 2 and section 3, and in article ii, section 4.

these articles set forth the rules regarding presidential impeachment. locate these articles in the text of the constitution by clicking here to access the full text.

consider the language of “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” what does this language mean, and who has the right to interpret these terms? this is something to keep in mind as you continue learning more about the impeachment process.

impeaching a president

the term impeachment means "the making of formal charges against." so, impeachment is not the actual removal of an official from office, but, the term refers to the process of having formal charges made. as you learned from the constitution, the house of representatives has the sole power to bring charges against the president or vice president; but, then, what? there are actually seven steps that are included in the impeachment process. using the internet, research and record the seven steps of impeachment. you will need to refer to these later.

the impeached

there have been only three sitting presidents who have been impeached, but the impeachment process itself removed none of them. research the impeachment stories of andrew johnson, richard m. nixon, and bill clinton.

as you are doing your research, be sure that you are using valid sources for your search. often, historians can skew the story or the facts that surround historical moments. you’ll want to be sure that you are avoiding personal blogs and web sites. if you are reading information on the internet, you want to consider the source by evaluating the publisher of the information. is that publisher credible and reliable? is that author well-known and respected in that person’s sphere? be sure that you are using reliable, credible sources as you investigate the impeachment stories of these three presidents. use this worksheet to organize your research and record your sources. you should have at least three sources for each investigation.

directions

write a 350-word argument essay that answers the question: was the impeachment of a particular president justified, according to the constitution? be sure that you summarize the circumstances surrounding his impeachment and use the language of the constitution to explain your reasoning. be sure to cite any and all reliable research properly and provide a works cited page, using the apa style guide to guide your formatting.

click here to view the rubric for this project.

The United States government is separated into three branches: the Congress, the Presidency and the Judiciary headed by the Supreme Court. The writers of the Constitution adopted this "separation of powers" principle to prevent one person or one part of the government from becoming too strong and possibly dictatorial.

In the election of 1864, Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, chose Senator Andrew Johnson, a Tennessee Democrat, as his vice-presidential running mate. Lincoln believed that Johnson, the only senator from a rebel state to remain loyal to the Union, would help persuade Democrats to vote Republican.

After Lincoln was assassinated, Andrew Johnson took the oath of office on April 15, 1865. Two profound questions faced the nation. First, under what conditions should the Southern rebel states be readmitted into the Union? Second, what rights should the freedmen, or ex-slaves, have?

A little over a month after becoming president, Johnson began executing his plan for reconstructing the South. Johnson pardoned all rebels except Confederate leaders. He also restored all rebel property except for slaves. Finally, he authorized each rebel state to call a convention of white delegates to draw up a new constitution. Once completed, a new state government could then be formed, and the state could apply for readmission to the Union.

During the summer of 1865, the rebel states held their constitutional conventions, followed by elections to choose state and federal government representatives. None of the new state constitutions allowed the black freedmen to vote. President Johnson himself opposed the idea of ex-slaves voting. "It would breed a war of races," Johnson said.

When Congress finally met in early December, the Republicans, in control of both the House and Senate, expressed outrage. They saw the same men who had led the rebellion returning to power throughout the South. Worse still, the new Southern governments were passing "black codes," which made it difficult for freedmen to work in certain jobs, own land, or even quit a white employer. Most troubling to Republicans in Congress was that President Johnson had, on his own authority, established a reconstruction plan for the South. Many Republicans believed this was the job of Congress and Congress alone.

In early February 1866, the Republican Congress passed the Freedmen's Bureau Bill. It called for the distribution of land to the freedmen, provided schools for their children, and set up military courts in Southern states to protect freedmen's rights. But to the dismay of Republicans and the joy of most white Southerners, President Johnson vetoed the bill. He called it unconstitutional and too expensive. When Republicans failed to muster enough votes to override his veto, Johnson believed that he had won the battle over Reconstruction.

On Washington's birthday, a few days after he had vetoed the Freedmen's Bureau Bill, Johnson spoke to a crowd outside the White House. During the speech, he claimed that "new rebels" in the North were plotting to take over the government. He charged that some members of Congress were as traitorous as Jefferson Davis, the Confederate leader. "Give us the names!" a voice in the crowd shouted. Johnson named three Republican leaders of Congress. Republicans in Congress reacted angrily. The opposition started to solidify against "King Andy," as some began to call the president.

In March 1866, Congress passed the Civil Rights Bill. It declared ex-slaves to be U.S. citizens and gave them the right to make contracts, sue, be witnesses in court, and own land. Again Johnson used his veto. He stated in his veto message that blacks were not qualified for citizenship and the proposed bill would "operate in favor of the colored and against the white race." The Republicans, abandoning all hope of working with the Democratic president, overrode his veto by a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate. For the first time in American history, Congress overturned a presidential veto.

each played a major role in ending the cold war.