×

UPSC Courses

DNA banner

DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

  • 20 December, 2019

  • Min Read

US President Donald Trump impeachment

US President Donald Trump's impeachment

Syllabus subtopic: Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries

Prelims and Mains focus: the process of impeachment of US President and its comparison with the process for Indian President’s impeachment

News: The impeachment of President Donald Trump in the U.S. House of Representatives on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress sets the stage for a historic trial next month in the Republican controlled Senate on whether he should be removed from office.

What next?

  • Mr Trump is certain to face more friendly terrain during a trial in the 100­ member Senate, where a vote to remove him would require a two­thirds majority.

  • Mr Trump, who is seeking another four­year term in the November 2020 presidential election, has denied wrongdoing and called the impeachment inquiry launched by Pelosi in September a ‘witch hunt’.

What is Impeachment?

Impeachment is a provision that allows Congress to remove the President of the United States.

US Constitution provides:

  • The House of Representatives (Lower House) has “the sole power of impeachment” while the Senate (Upper House) has “the sole power to try all impeachments”.
  • The Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court has the duty of presiding over impeachment trials in the Senate.

Grounds for impeachment:

  • The President can be removed from office for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanours”.
  • Essentially, it means an abuse of power by a high-level public official. This does not necessarily have to be a violation of an ordinary criminal statute. Historically, in the US, it has encompassed corruption and other abuses, including trying to obstruct judicial proceedings.

The process:

  1. It begins with an investigation by a House committee. If they find that there is enough evidence of wrongdoing, it will refer the matter to the full House.

  1. House Voting: When the full House votes, if one or more of the articles of impeachment gets a majority vote, the President is impeached. Next, the proceedings move to the Senate.

  1. Senate trial and voting: The Senate holds a trial, overseen by the chief justice of the Supreme Court. A team of lawmakers from the House, known as managers, play the role of prosecutors. The President has defence lawyers, and the Senate serves as the jury. If at least two-thirds of the Senators present to find the President guilty, he is removed and the Vice President takes over as President.

Source: The Hindu


E-pharmacies

E-pharmacies The Ministry of Health sent "show cause" letters to at least 20 businesses in February 2023 for online drug sales, including Tata-1mg, Flipkart, Apollo, PharmEasy, Amazon, and Reliance Netmeds. What is e-pharmacy? E-pharmacy refers to the purchasing and selling of drugs and other pharmaceutical products through a

Punchhi Commission Report

Punchhi Commission Report The Punchhi Commission's report on relations between the federal government and its constituent states will now be reviewed for state responses, according to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Historical Background: A Commission on Centre-State Relations was established by the Indian government,

Indo-German Relations

Indo-German Relations Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, recently paid a bilateral visit to India. It is Scholz's first trip to India after taking office as German Chancellor in December 2021, ending Angela Merkel's illustrious 16-year reign. About the news: The visit of the German chancellor is significant because i

India Denmark Cooperation

India Denmark Cooperation During the "India-Denmark: Partners for Green and Sustainable Development Conference" in New Delhi, the Union Minister for Environment, Forests, and Climate Change said that India and Denmark can work together to show that reaching ambitious climate and sustainable energy targets is possible. Since the Gr

Mob lynching and Cow Vigilantism

Mob lynching and Cow Vigilantism The recent lynching and burning of two men in Haryana on the basis of allegations of unlawful cow slaughter, smuggling, or transportation bring attention to the problem of mob lynching. About cow vigilantism: Mob attacks carried out in the guise of "cow protection" primarily target Mus

Toppers

Search By Date

Post Feed

Newsletter Subscription
SMS Alerts