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Federal Impeachment

Constitutional Convention and Ratification

Title page [from The Federalist]. 1799. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

The main impeachment provision in the Constitution of the United States of America can be found at Article II, Section 4, which provides for removal of the "President, Vice President and all civil officers of the United States...from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

Other relevant provisions in Article I and Article III include:

  • Article I, Section 2, Clause 5, stating that the House has the sole power to impeach;
  • Article I, Section 3, Clause 6, containing several provisions concerning impeachment trials in the Senate, including the requirement of a vote of two thirds of the members present to convict;
  • Article I, Section 3, Clause 7, concerning the result of a conviction from an impeachment trial;
  • Article II, Section 2, Clause 1, prohibiting the President from using the pardon power in cases of impeachment; and
  • Article III, Section 2, Clause 3, exempting impeachment cases from the jury trial requirement.

The resources listed below discuss impeachment in the context of the ratification of the Constitution. The print materials listed below link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online resources are provided when available. The online resources include both Library of Congress and external websites for information about impeachment.

Resources