I’ll be doing a webinar with Greg Nunziata today at noon (Eastern) at the Rule of Law Institute. You can register for the virtual event here: here.
I’m planning to discuss my latest book. The Power of Impeachment: The Purpose of a Special Legal, Political, and Constitutional Instrumentjust published by Princeton University Press. From the PUP book description.
Drawing insights from American and British history, parliamentary practice, and the text of the Constitution itself, Whittington shows how impeachment is a means to check abuses of elected office and protect constitutional norms. Although we have come to associate impeachment with the presidency, it can also be used to correct serious misconduct by various federal officials. Mr Whittington warned against abusing this vast and consequential power to decide political outcomes, and how it undermines branch independence and turns Parliament into a seat of political power. It shows.
From the blurb:
“A truly extraordinary contribution to the literature on impeachment. Whittington shows that impeachment is really about politics, but it does not require elected officials to be concerned about the health of democratic institutions. It must be a highly constitutional politics that demands the exercise of responsible judgment upon which the final outcome depends.” An essential treatment of this subject naturally finds a wide audience in the capital and beyond. There is no doubt that it will. ”—Bob Bauer, author Unraveling: Thoughts on politics without ethics and democracy in crisis
“As presidential impeachment enters the realm of normal politics, many Americans are wondering what impeachment is actually for and how it works. This book answers those questions. It’s a great book to read: nonpartisan, historically informed, reliable, and easy to read.—Michael W. McConnell, author The President Who Couldn’t Become King: Executive Power Based on the Constitution
You can also purchase a copy for yourself, including in audiobook format. — right now. You can also hear a previous conversation about this book and the impeachment power with Jack Goldsmith of Harvard Law School on the Lawfare Podcast. here.
