In a 3-5 page paper, compare and contrast the impeachment trials of Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton. Identify ethical dilemmas presented by each. Be sure to focus on the trial proceedings in the Senate and political aspects of the impeachment proceedings as opposed to only the actions of the presidents in question. After you identify the ethical dilemmas presented in each case, rank the severity of the ethical violations of each and answer these questions:
- If you were a member of the Senate, which ethical charges would you bring against each President?
- In your opinion, are these charges actionable, if unethical?
- Should each President be impeached? Removed from office? Tried and convicted? Should a president who is a lawyer, such as Nixon and Clinton, be held to a higher ethical standard than a president who is not a lawyer? Why or why not? Are there professional rules of conduct that lawyers must abide by while serving as president?
- In each case, were the actions of the Congress ethical? Were they politically motivated?
- What arguments do these ethical dilemmas bring up or create? For example, where should the line be drawn between personal issues and issues which affect a president's ability to govern? Should a leader have a higher standard of ethics than the average person? Can an unethical leader lead?
- Are criminal proceedings appropriate in any of the cases? Why, or why not?
You should also make sure to:
- Include a title page with full name, class name, section number, and date
- Include an introductory and concluding paragraph and demonstrate college-level communication through the composition of original materials in Standard American English
- Use research and examples from sources to support your Discussion
- Cite all sources on a separate reference page at the end of your paper and cited within the body of your paper using APA format