How does impeachment work? - Alex Gendler

翻译人员: Liyu Liu 校对人员: Echo Yang

For most jobs, it's understood that you can be fired,

对于大多数工作来说 ， 别人能解雇你，这很好理解

whether for crime,

无论是因为犯罪、

incompetence,

缺乏能力、

or just poor performance.

或者只是因为表现欠佳。

But what if your job happens to be the most powerful position in the country,

但是，如果你的工作是 一个国家最有权势的职位呢？

or the world?

或者是全世界最有权势的职位呢？

That's where impeachment comes in.

这就是弹劾的由来了。

Impeachment isn't the same as actually removing someone from office.

弹劾不只是简单的免除职务。

Like an indictment in criminal court,

就像刑事法庭上的起诉，

it's only the formal accusation that launches a trial,

弹劾只是引起审判的正式控告，

which could end in conviction or acquittal.

它可能会以定罪或者宣告无罪结尾。

Originating in the United Kingdom,

弹劾起源于英国，

impeachment allowed Parliament to vote for removing a government official from office

它允许议会投票来免除政府官员的职务，

even without the king's consent.

甚至可以不需要国王的同意。

Although this was an important check on royal power,

虽然这是王权中一个很重要的手段，

the king couldn't be impeached

国王自身是不能够被弹劾的，

because the monarch was considered the source of all government power.

因为君主被认为是所有政府权力的来源。

But for the founders of the American Republic,

但是对于美利坚合众国的开国元勋而言，

there was no higher authority beyond the people themselves.

没有什么权力是可以高过人民的。

And so impeachment was adopted in the United States as a power of Congress

因此在美国，国会拥有弹劾的权力，

applying to any civil officers, up to and including the president.

适用于任何政府公职人员 ，上至总统。

Although demands for impeachment can come from any members of the public,

虽然弹劾的请求可以来自公众中的任意一员，

only the House of Representatives has the power to actually initiate the process.

但只有美国众议院有权真正开始这一过程。

It begins by referring the matter to a committee,

首先，把这一情况提交到委员会——

usually the House Committee on Rules

通常为美国议会法案委员会

and the House Committee on the Judiciary.

和司法委员会。

These committees review the accusations,

这些委员会会审查指控、

examine the evidence,

调查证据

and issue a recommendation.

并出具解决方案。

If they find sufficient grounds to proceed,

如果他们找到足够的理由继续审议，

the House holds a separate vote on each of the specific charges,

议会会针对每一项具体的指控举行投票，

known as Articles of Impeachment.

这被称为弹劾条款。

If one or more passes by a simple majority,

如果通过简单多数的方式 通过一项或多项指控，

the official is impeached and the stage is set for trial.

官员就会被弹劾， 并且准备接受审判。

The actual trial that follows impeachment is held in the Senate.

真正的审判是在弹劾之后， 由参议院举行。

Selected members of the House, known as managers, act as the prosecution,

众议院选出的成员被称作检控干事， 他们作为检举方。

while the impeached official and their lawyers present their defense.

而被弹劾的官员及其律师 则作为辩护方。

The Senate acts as both judge and jury,

参议院充当法官和陪审团，

conducting the trial and deliberating after hearing all the arguments.

在听过所有辩护之后， 开展审判并讨论。

If it's the president or vice president being impeached,

如果是总统或者副总统被弹劾，

the chief justice of the Supreme Court presides.

最高法院的首席大法官会主持会议。

A conviction requires a supermajority of two-thirds

需要三分之二的多数参议员通过才能定罪，

and results in automatic removal from power.

定罪后会使被弹劾官员自动免职。

Depending on the original charges,

取决于原始指控，

it can also disqualify them from holding office in the future

审讯也可以判决取消他们未来供职的资格，

and open them to standard criminal prosecution.

并且对其开展标准刑事诉讼。

So what exactly can get someone impeached?

所以，到底是什么可以弹劾一个人呢？

That's a bit more complicated.

这就更复杂一些了。

Unlike in the United Kingdom,

和英国不同的是，

impeachment in the U.S. pits an elected legislature

在美国，弹劾会使选举产生的立法机关

against other democratically elected members of government.

和其他民主选举的政府成员形成对立。

Therefore, to prevent the process from being used as a political weapon,

因此 ，为了防止这一程序 被利用为政治武器，

the Constitution specifies that an official can only be impeached

宪法规定了官员只能因以下原因被弹劾：

for treason,

bribery,

叛国罪、

受贿罪

or other high crimes and misdemeanors.

或者其他重罪和不检行为。

That still leaves a lot of room for interpretation,

但这仍然给辩护留下很多空间，

not to mention politics,

更无须说政治了，

and many impeachment trials have split along partisan lines.

并且许多弹劾审讯也以党派为界。

But the process is generally understood to be reserved for serious abuses of power.

但这一程序一般被认为是

为严重权力滥用的案子所保留。

The first official to be impeached was Tennesse Senator William Blount in 1797

第一位被弹劾的官员是 于1797年被弹劾的田纳西州参议员William Blount，

for conspiring with Britain to cease the Spanish colony of Louisiana.

原因是同英国密谋停止西班牙对路易斯安那州的殖民。

Since then, the House has launched impeachment investigations about 60 times,

此后 ，众议院发起了约60起的弹劾调查，

but only 19 have led to actual impeachment proceedings.

但只有19起引发实际的弹劾程序。

The eight cases that ended in a conviction and removal from office

其中以定罪和免职的方式结束的8个案件，

were all federal judges.

涉案的全是联邦法官。

And impeachment of a sitting president is even more rare.

而对于在位总统的弹劾就更加罕见。

Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868

安德鲁·约翰逊于1868年被弹劾，

for attempting to replace Secretary of War Edwin Stanton

因其在没有和议会商议的情况下

企图取代战争部长埃德温·斯坦顿。

without consulting the Senate.

Over a century later, Bill Clinton was impeached

一个世纪之后，比尔·克林顿被弹劾，

for making false statements under oath during a sexual harassment trial.

因其在性骚扰审判中 为宣誓证词作伪证。

Both were ultimately acquitted when the Senate's votes to convict

他们二人都最终被宣判无罪，

因为参议院的投票比要求的 三分之二多数要少。

fell short of the required two-thirds majority.

And contrary to popular belief,

和普遍观点不同的是，

Richard Nixon was never actually impeached for the Watergate scandal.

理查德·尼克松并未真正因为水门事件而被弹劾。

He resigned before it could happen

他在可能遭受弹劾的前夕就辞职了，

knowing he would almost certainly be convicted.

因为他知道自己几乎确定会被定罪。

Theoretically, the U.S. government is already designed

从理论上来说，美国政府的设计

to prevent abuses of power,

是为了防止权力滥用。

limiting different branches through a system of checks and balances,

通过三权分立体系、

term limits,

任期限制

and free elections.

和自由选举 对不同的部门实行限制。

But impeachment can be seen as an emergency brake

但是当这些保障失效的时候，

for when these safeguards fail.

弹劾可以被视作紧急停止装置。