Quote:
Originally Posted by Hugh
Impeachment wouldn’t be successful, as it requires 2/3rds supermajority in the Senate, I believe
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Indeed.
Congress impeaches, which is in effect the equivalent of a grand jury hearing a case outline and voting to issue an indictment (indictment is a procedure we’ve abolished in any meaningful way in the UK).
The Senate is then roughly equivalent to a jury in a criminal trial, hearing all the evidence and voting on guilt or innocence. When seen in those terms, the requirement for a supermajority makes more sense, although with the senate itself now being directly elected by the people rather than filled with appointees sent by the states any such hearing is now so nakedly political as to be more or less pointless. If you know the political makeup of-up of the senate you know within a vote or two what the outcome will be.