Overview

This collection brings together historians, political scientists and legal scholars to explore the Anglo-American origins of impeachment and its use in the USA. Impeachment originated in England during the Good Parliament of 1376. It was used, subject to several periods of disuse, until the beginning of the nineteenth century. The British form of impeachment in turn inspired the drafters of the US Constitution and the inclusion of a mechanism permitting the removal of members of the federal executive and federal judiciary. These Anglo-American origins of impeachment have inspired many constitutions around the globe to include impeachment mechanisms which permit, in most cases, the legislature to remove the President, a Prime Minister, ministers and judges. This volume explores the origins, influence and practice of impeachment. Divided into three parts, the history of impeachment and how it developed in British history is the focus of part one. The inclusion of Ireland reflects the constitutional status of impeachment, the legacy of union with Great Britain and how impeachment can still serve as a deterrent. Part two examines the adoption of impeachment within the US Constitution and its use in practice. The third and final part discusses impeachment in the twenty-first century. The book will be an essential resource for students, academics and researchers in law, political science and history.

Full Product Details

Author:   Chris Monaghan (University of Worcester, UK) ,  Matthew Flinders (University of Sheffield, UK)
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
ISBN:  

9781032187303

ISBN 10:   1032187301
Pages:   282
Publication Date:   30 July 2025
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Not yet available  
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Table of Contents

List of Contributors xi Preface xii Foreword xiv 1 Impeachment Matters 1 MATTHEW FLINDERS AND CHRIS MONAGHAN PART 1 British Origins 15 2 Impeachment during the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries and Its Abeyance in the Sixteenth Century 17 CHRIS MONAGHAN 3 Impeachment in Seventeenth-Century England 42 MARK GOLDIE 4 British Politics and Impeachment in the Eighteenth Century 64 ROBIN EAGLES 5 Edmund Burke, India and the Impeachment Trial of Warren Hastings 84 MITHI MUKHERJEE 6 The Nineteenth Century and Beyond: The Existence of the Threat of Impeachment 114 CHRIS MONAGHAN 7 ‘Impeachment’ in Irish Constitutional Law 132 LAURA CAHILLANE AND TOM HICKEY PART 2 American Practice 155 8 Impeachment in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries in the Early United States 157 JOHN R VILE 9 Parallel Evolution: American Impeachment and the Two-Party System 180 BRIAN C KALT 10 Impeachment, Responsibility and Constitutional Failure: From Watergate to January 6 206 JACK N RAKOVE 11 The US Impeachment Process: Fit for Purpose in a Hyper-Partisan Era? 238 CLODAGH HARRINGTON AND ALEX WADDAN PART 3 Evolutionary Dynamics 259 12 The Renaissance of Impeachment: Political and Legal Accountability in the 21st Century 261 DAN PLESCH Index 271

Reviews

‘This wide-ranging, interdisciplinary study of impeachment is essential readingfor scholars, citizens, and public officials alike. Now more than ever, it is vital to appreciate the promise and perils of the impeachment power, and to reckon with its proper role in constitutional democracy.’ Joshua Matz, Partner, Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP; Impeachment Counsel to the House Judiciary Committee for the first (2019–20) and second (2021) Senate trial of President Trump

Author Information

Chris Monaghan is a Principal Lecturer in Law at the University of Worcester,UK. Matthew Flinders is Professor of Politics and Founding Director of the Sir Bernard Crick Centre at the University of Sheffield, UK.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions