Presidential Impeachment and Institutional Dynamics in the Iran-Contra Affair and the Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal

This paper analyzes institutional dynamics affecting Congress's impeachment decisions regarding the Iran-Contra Affair and the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. While other scholars have explained the Clinton impeachment by pointing to differences in the nature of the scandals–a decoupling of public opinion from legislative action, increasing partisanship, and a new media regime–these explanations overlook the nature of impeachment as an institutional confrontation, governed by institutional choices and dynamics. Taking an institutional approach, we argue that congressional decisions were strongly affected by the institutional arrangements adopted by Congress to handle the scandals' investigations. In brief, the earlier strategic approaches of party leaders and the congressional investigatory approach restrained inclinations to impeach President Reagan, while later ones promoted President Clinton's impeachment. More broadly, this analysis demonstrates the important interaction between institutional choices and party leaders' powers and strategies in affecting congressional action

Action (physics · Impeachment · Legislature · Political science · Politics · Presidency · Presidential system · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Political Conflict and Governance

• Less Than Meets the Eye

  Barbara Hinckley•Less Than Meets the Eye•1994

  Incluir item

• The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion

  Open Access•John R Zaller, John Zaller•Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion•1992

  Incluir item

• Parties and Leaders in the Postreform House

  David W Rohde•Parties and leaders in the…•1991

  Incluir item

• Committees in Congress

  Christopher J Deering, Christopher Deering et al.•Committees in Congress•1997

  Incluir item

• Competing Principals

  Forrest Maltzman•Competing principals•1997

  Incluir item

• Is Anyone Responsible?

  Shanto Iyengar•Is Anyone Responsible?•1991

  Incluir item

• An Affair of State

  Richard A Posner•Affair of State•1999

  Incluir item

• American foreign policy and the Iran‐contra hearings

  Bahman Baktiari, Matthew C Moen•Comparative Strategy•1988

  Incluir item

• Sleepwalking Through History

  Open Access•David J Garrow•Political Science Quarterly•1992

  Incluir item

• Disjointed Pluralism

  Open Access•Garry Young•Political Science Quarterly•2002

  Incluir item

• Friends and Foes

  Beth Fischer, Rebecca K C Hersman•International Journal Canada s…•2000

  Incluir item

• Less than meets the eye

  Michael Brenner•International Affairs•1994

  Incluir item

• Congress Oversees the United States Intelligence Community, 1947-1989

  Gregory F Treverton, Frank J Smist•Foreign Affairs•1991

  Incluir item

• The Wars of Watergate

  Edward F Haas, Stanley I Kutler•American Journal of Legal History•1994

  Incluir item

• An introduction to journalism norms and representations of politics

  W L Bennett•Political Communication•1996

  Incluir item

• Monica Lewinsky's Contribution to Political Science

  Open Access•John R Zaller, John Zaller•PS Political Science & Politics•1998

  Incluir item

• Altering the Foundations of Support for the President Through Priming

  Open Access•Jon A Krosnick, Donald R Kinder•American Political Science Review•1990

  Incluir item

• Dewey Defeats Truman

  Open Access•Herbert L Colston•Journal of Language and Social…•2000

  Incluir item