The apogee of 1990s constitutional hardball was the December 1998 House vote to impeach President Clinton. Only the second presidential impeachment in U.S. history, the move ran afoul of long-established norms. The investigation, beginning with the dead-end Whitewater inquiry and ultimately centering on President Clinton's testimony about an extramarital affair, never revealed anything approaching conventional standards for what constitute high crimes and misdemeanors.
The impeachment of President Clinton in December 1998 marked a significant moment in U.S. history, being only the second time a president faced such action. This event highlighted a departure from long-standing political norms, raising questions about the motivations and implications behind the impeachment process. The inquiry originated from the unfruitful Whitewater investigation and culminated in Clinton's testimonies regarding an affair, which ultimately did not meet the traditional criteria of high crimes and misdemeanors.
This episode exemplifies the escalation of 1990s constitutional hardball, illustrating how political conflicts can undermine democratic principles. The investigation failed to substantiate serious accusations against the president, yet it still triggered a monumental and contentious impeachment vote. Such actions reflect broader concerns about the health of democratic institutions and the standards by which political conduct is judged, as discussed by Steven Levitsky in his examination of contemporary democracy.
