The Impeachment of President Clinton Essay - 698 Words

James Madison, in writing the US Constitution in 1787, intended that the system of checks and balances would separate the powers of the government branches and counter a â€Å"tyranny of the majority†. He carefully sought to distribute powers in a way that prevents any one faction from dominating. Under this system, the President can appoint federal judges, grant pardons, veto bills, propose laws, reject part of bills, etc. Equally, the Congress can override presidential veto, impeach the President, ratify treaties, etc., and the Courts can declare laws and executive orders unconstitutional. The contemporary system of checks and balances isn’t working as Madison intended as illustrated by the impeachment of President Clinton, the government†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, none of the misconduct associated with President Clinton was an assault on the American form of government. The government shutdown of 1995 was yet another example of how the system of checks and balances wasn’t what Madison intended. In 1994, there was a shift in the control of Congress from Democrats to Republicans, with the intended goal of balancing the federal budget. Here, breaches of inter-branch accommodation occurred and resulted in the 1995 budget shutdown. The Congressional Republicans were threatening to withhold funding from the executive branch unless President Clinton conceded to a series of budget priorities. The power of the purse is given to Congress without any textual limitations that give them the authority to defund the executive branch. The danger in this would be sabotaging the Constitution’s central organizational structure, set up by Madison, that the government comprises of three equal branches. Regardless, the Republicans in Congress remained firm, which caused the two shutdowns of government agencies in 1995.The divided branches and impasse led t o the expiration of federal funding. In 1996, the President and Congress agreed on appropriations for the Fiscal Year. At the time, majority of public opinion favored the President’s position. The illegal arms transfer to Iran was a violation of the checks and balances of the constitution. The crimes of theShow MoreRelatedThe Clinton s Impeachment Of President Clinton947 Words   |  4 Pages1999- Clinton Escapes Impeachment In the year 1998, Clinton was investigated and then accused of improperly using money from the company Whitewater Development and using it to fund one of his previous campaigns. However, what made the public hostile towards Clinton would have to be the discovery that he possibly had an affair with White House Intern, Monica Lewinsky. He even lied about it under a presidential oath on national television, despite their being clear evidence. It was after these twoRead MoreThe Impeachment of President Bill Clinton2014 Words   |  9 PagesThe Impeachment of President Bill Clinton The impeachment of President Clinton is something that will be remembered forever. Along with the fact that a presidential impeachment has only happened one other time since the Civil War, the publicity that came with the Clinton trial was extensive (Miller 2004). While the Republican and Democratic members of the House of Representatives had vastly different views on impeaching President Clinton, the fact that only five Democratic Representatives voted toRead MorePresident Bill Clinton s Impeachment2515 Words   |  11 PagesRepresentative voted to impeach President Bill Clinton. I remember the news asking people what they thought. The people they asked were divided. 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