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 weapon 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 actions
behind 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, Kyvig 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.
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