# How impeachment works (US)

> A process map exported from forks.world (https://forks.world). Author: Brian. Source: https://forks.world/p/cmv0kpkgt0025jn06q9yanf25
> It describes who does what, in what order, and with which technology. Read the plain-language sections first; the JSON at the end is the exact, complete data.

## Summary

- 13 steps across 1 layer
- Persona: The House, The Senate, Chief Justice (presides for a president), The public

## Pain points

Where this process hurts, worst first:

- **Do two-thirds of senators vote to convict?** (How impeachment works (US); painful): A very high bar: removal needs broad cross-party agreement

## How to read this file

- A process is made of **layers**. The main layer is the top level; any step of kind `subprocess` opens a detail layer with its own lanes and steps.
- **Lanes** are either persona (people/roles) or technology (systems). Each step belongs to one lane; `using` lists tools a person uses for that step.
- Step kinds: `start`, `task`, `decision` (its arrows carry the answer as a label), `subprocess`, `end`.

## How impeachment works (US)

Lanes:
- The House: person / role (id `house`)
- The Senate: person / role (id `senate`)
- Chief Justice (presides for a president): person / role (id `chief`)
- The public: person / role (id `public`)

Steps, in the order they run:

1. **Allegations of "high crimes and misdemeanors"** [start; The House; id `i1`]
   - then Committees investigate
2. **Committees investigate** [task; The House; id `i2`]
   - then Draft articles of impeachment
3. **Draft articles of impeachment** [task; The House; id `i3`]
   - then Does a simple majority vote to impeach?
4. **Does a simple majority vote to impeach?** [decision; The House; id `i4`]
   - if "Yes" go to The official is impeached: formally charged, not removed; if "No" go to No impeachment
5. **The official is impeached: formally charged, not removed** [task; The House; id `i5`]
   - then The Senate holds a trial
6. **The Senate holds a trial** [task; The Senate; id `i6`]
   - then For a president, the Chief Justice presides
7. **For a president, the Chief Justice presides** [task; Chief Justice (presides for a president); id `i7`]
   - then House managers prosecute and the defense responds
8. **House managers prosecute and the defense responds** [task; The Senate; id `i8`]
   - then Do two-thirds of senators vote to convict?
9. **Do two-thirds of senators vote to convict?** [decision; The Senate; id `i9`] ⚠ PAIN POINT (painful): A very high bar: removal needs broad cross-party agreement
   - if "Yes" go to Convicted and removed from office; if "No" go to Acquitted: the official stays in office
10. **Convicted and removed from office** [task; The Senate; id `i10`]
   - then A second vote can bar them from future office
11. **A second vote can bar them from future office** [end; The Senate; id `i11`]
12. **Acquitted: the official stays in office** [end; The Senate; id `i9a`]
13. **No impeachment** [end; The House; id `i4a`]

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  subgraph l_house["The House"]
    n_i1(["Allegations of 'high crimes and misdemeanors'"])
    n_i2["Committees investigate"]
    n_i3["Draft articles of impeachment"]
    n_i4{"Does a simple majority vote to impeach?"}
    n_i4a(["No impeachment"])
    n_i5["The official is impeached: formally charged, not removed"]
  end
  subgraph l_senate["The Senate"]
    n_i6["The Senate holds a trial"]
    n_i8["House managers prosecute and the defense responds"]
    n_i9{"Do two-thirds of senators vote to convict?"}
    n_i9a(["Acquitted: the official stays in office"])
    n_i10["Convicted and removed from office"]
    n_i11(["A second vote can bar them from future office"])
  end
  subgraph l_chief["Chief Justice (presides for a president)"]
    n_i7["For a president, the Chief Justice presides"]
  end
  n_i1 --> n_i2
  n_i2 --> n_i3
  n_i3 --> n_i4
  n_i4 -->|"Yes"| n_i5
  n_i4 -->|"No"| n_i4a
  n_i5 --> n_i6
  n_i6 --> n_i7
  n_i7 --> n_i8
  n_i8 --> n_i9
  n_i9 -->|"Yes"| n_i10
  n_i9 -->|"No"| n_i9a
  n_i10 --> n_i11
```

## Full data (JSON)

```json
{
  "title": "How impeachment works (US)",
  "maps": {
    "m_root": {
      "id": "m_root",
      "lanes": [
        {
          "id": "house",
          "name": "The House",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "senate",
          "name": "The Senate",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "chief",
          "name": "Chief Justice (presides for a president)",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "public",
          "name": "The public",
          "type": "person"
        }
      ],
      "steps": [
        {
          "id": "i1",
          "kind": "start",
          "lane": "house",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "i2"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Allegations of \"high crimes and misdemeanors\""
        },
        {
          "id": "i2",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "house",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "i3"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Committees investigate"
        },
        {
          "id": "i3",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "house",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "i4"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Draft articles of impeachment"
        },
        {
          "id": "i4",
          "kind": "decision",
          "lane": "house",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "i5",
              "label": "Yes"
            },
            {
              "to": "i4a",
              "label": "No"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Does a simple majority vote to impeach?"
        },
        {
          "id": "i4a",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "house",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "No impeachment"
        },
        {
          "id": "i5",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "house",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "i6"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The official is impeached: formally charged, not removed"
        },
        {
          "id": "i6",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "senate",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "i7"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The Senate holds a trial"
        },
        {
          "id": "i7",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "chief",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "i8"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "For a president, the Chief Justice presides"
        },
        {
          "id": "i8",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "senate",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "i9"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "House managers prosecute and the defense responds"
        },
        {
          "id": "i9",
          "kind": "decision",
          "lane": "senate",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "i10",
              "label": "Yes"
            },
            {
              "to": "i9a",
              "label": "No"
            }
          ],
          "pain": {
            "note": "A very high bar: removal needs broad cross-party agreement",
            "level": 2
          },
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Do two-thirds of senators vote to convict?"
        },
        {
          "id": "i9a",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "senate",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Acquitted: the official stays in office"
        },
        {
          "id": "i10",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "senate",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "i11"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Convicted and removed from office"
        },
        {
          "id": "i11",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "senate",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "A second vote can bar them from future office"
        }
      ],
      "title": "How impeachment works (US)",
      "parent": null
    }
  }
}
```