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Executive Disorder

The explicit details of Ken Starr's report should not obscure the actual matter in question. Do the nature of Mr. Clinton's actions warrant impeachment? Did he in fact lie under oath and obstruct justice? Each person may now examine the report and decide for themselves.

But it is not the public - at least not directly - that ultimately decides this matter. Our Constitution bestows that power on the House of Representatives. In his commentary on the executive power, Alexander Hamilton described impeachment as one of those constitutional features that distinguishes our presidency from monarchy. Quite simply, a president, unlike a king, must be accountable to others. We might say that republican government partially rests on the assumption that all leaders, regardless of their office, should be responsible to someone else for their actions. With that in mind, let us consider this matter with the proper judgment and discernment.


Feature Articles:

Executive Follies
Jack L. Walker, Jr.
How should we evaluate the president's behavior regarding what is alleged in the Starr report? How we estimate his actions might say more about us than it does about the president.

Thoughts on Why President Clinton Should Resign
John Piper
A biblical overview of principles of leadership, a biblical response to authority by all Christians, moral requirements to exercise leadership, and John Piper's view that President Clinton is unfit to hold the highest elected office and should resign.

So, so sorry: What apologies can do and what they can't
J. Budziszewski
What's the big deal about how Mr. Clinton says "I'm sorry" for the Monica Lewinsky affair?

This Isn't Watergate?
Kerby Anderson
Is this scandal similar to Watergate? The 1974 Watergate hearings were the last time the House of Representatives moved to impeach a president.

Judge Not?
Jean Bethke Elshtain
Many are saying that we should not judge the president. Are there not appropriate circumstances and ways to judge? Do we not all have to make appropriate judgements to function properly?

Does Character Matter?
Frederica Mathewes-Green
This article considers the importance of character in leadership.


Related Historical Documents

The Real Character of the Executive (Federalist No. 69)
Alexander Hamilton
Hamilton describes the nature of the American presidency as laid out in the Constitution. He compares it with British monarchy. The power of impeachment is brought up as a key difference between the two.

Articles of Impeachment
Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives
These are the Articles of Impeachment brought against Richard Nixon.



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