The age of impeachment : American constitutional culture since 1960 David E. Kyvig

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kyvig, David E.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Impeachments--United States--Cases.

Impeachments.

Constitutional law--United States.

Constitutional law.

Physical Description:

xiii, 482 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Lawrence, KS : University Press of Kansas, c2008.

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.

Contents:

Impeachment evolves

Impeachment as exceptional: the case of Earl Warren

Impeachment as political: the case of Abe Fortas

Impeachment as partisan: the case of William 0. Douglas

Impeachment as discretionary: the case of Spiro Agnew

Impeachment as essential: the case of Richard Nixon

Impeachment as routine: pardons, powers, prosecutors, and judicial self-policing

Impeachment as cultural: shaping public conclusions

Impeachment as distasteful: the case of Ronald Reagan

Impeachment as inexorable: the cases of Harry Claiborne and Walter Nixon

Impeachment as irreversible but not fatal: the case of Alcee Hastings

Impeachment as consensual: the case of Bill Clinton

Impeachment as conventional: expressions of public scorn

The age of impeachment: ended or extended?

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (p. 445-469) and index.

ISBN:

9780700615810 (cloth : alk. paper)

0700615814 (cloth : alk. paper)

OCLC:

180756976