POL 295 - Special Topics in American Politics

FDR: SS2
Credits: 3 in fall and winter, 4 in spring

Prerequisite: May vary with topic. A seminar in political science for students at the introductory or intermediate level. Topic, hour, and instructor are announced prior to registration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

Fall 2019, POL 295A-01: Special Topics in American Politics: Presidential Impeachment (3). No prerequisite. A consideration of the debates during the Constitutional Convention and the constitution’s ratification process regarding the removal from office of presidents. Students study in detail the impeachments of Andrew Johnson and William Jefferson Clinton, and the impeachment process that led to Richard Nixon’s resignation. When should a president be removed? For what offenses? What constitutes a high crime or misdemeanor? Is it necessary to establish that a president has committed a crime before removal can be considered? Do the Constitution and the precedents in American history set the bar for presidential removal too high or too low? These and similar questions are discussed in connection with long-standing constitutional arguments and the political lessons from prior impeachments. (SS2) Strong.