CASAS Government and History (965) Listening Practice Test – Prep & Study Guide

The House of Representatives holds the power to impeach the President as outlined in the U.S. Constitution. Impeachment is the process through which charges are brought against a government official, and in the case of the President, this process begins in the House. The House has the responsibility to investigate and draft articles of impeachment, which requires a simple majority vote. If the articles are approved, the President is officially impeached, which is akin to an indictment, but the process does not remove the President from office.

Once the House impeaches, the case is then sent to the Senate, which conducts a trial to determine whether to convict and remove the President from office. This two-step process underscores the system of checks and balances that is central to the structure of the U.S. government.

The other branches, like the Senate, have a distinct role in the impeachment process but do not initiate it. The Supreme Court does not have any role in impeachment, and the Cabinet, while made up of the President's closest advisors, has no constitutional authority in this regard.