Video Glossary - Impeachment

>> Congress has this uh... authority to remove the judicial branch as well as the executive branch. >> At the risk of stepping on a land mine let's talk about impeachment uh... that's always a good conversation in my classroom so uh... Professor Mullins define the term impeachment for our students. >> Well impeachment is the formal process by the legislative branch to remove public officials for unlawful activity and according to the united states constitution um... the congress is granted the authority to impeach thee president... the vice president, and all federal civil officers. And this impeachment can be for... treason, bribery or any other high crimes or misdemeanors. >> And you know before we get into the uhh... i guess to the meat of it, and like... what kinds of offences we're talking about uhh... Professor Obasohan what can you tell us about the process... of impeachment because I... know a lot of people uh... get confused by i guess the specifics of it. >> Well the process usually begins from the house, all the house needs to do is... to vote the articles of impeachment by a simple majority if the house impeaches the president for example by a simple majority then it goes to the senate whether senate in all will be acting as jurors one hundred of them presided over by the chief justice of the supreme court uh... you do need a super-majority of sixty seven senators to impeach a president. >> The constitution giving i guess congress the legislative branch this ability or this power to impeach and remove both executive and judicial branch officers is there any similar or equivalent power in the executive branch or the judicial branch to remove members of either the legislative branch for the other branches? >> Is called the Justice Department uh...umm... if their any suspicion of... crimes...uh... the house and the senate, you know have you know their ethics commitee, so... if their any allegations it can be reffered to the the u_s_ justice department umm... to be persecuted so the justice department appears to be the one... that monitors, you know the house and the senate. >> I'm going to disagree >> That's what I was hoping for I told you I had something. >> Umm... I feel... that this reveals this idea that the congress has this uh... authority... to remove the judicial branch as well as the executive branch that... type of power really reveals how the framers wanted the legislative branch the first branch that was created under article one to be the most powerful branch, and really to show their power that they could fire judges they could fire the president and even though there is the justice department their powers are limited when you look at the power of impeachment. >> Well as always I get the last word in I agree with Professor Mullins thank you very much.