Claim: Impeachment is only a formal phrasing of charges.

Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body formally levels charges against a high official of government . Impeachment does not necessarily mean removal from office ; it is only a formal statement of charges , akin to an indictment in criminal law , and is thus only the first step towards removal . Once an individual is impeached , he or she must then face the possibility of conviction via legislative vote , which then entails the removal of the individual from office .   Because impeachment and conviction of officials involve an overturning of the normal constitutional procedures by which individuals achieve high office -LRB- election , ratification , or appointment -RRB- and because it generally requires a supermajority , they are usually reserved for those deemed to have committed serious abuses of their office . In the United States , for example , impeachment at the federal level is limited to those who may have committed `` high crimes and misdemeanors '' . Several federal officials , including two US presidents -LRB- Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton , who were both acquitted -RRB- and several judges , have been impeached over the course of US history . US President Richard Nixon resigned during the Watergate scandal before impeachment proceedings could begin .   The federal procedure in the United States involves a vote for impeachment in the House of Representatives on a document known as the article of impeachment . Each separate grounds will be a separate article . House members who support the impeachment then appoint managers who will act like prosecutors in the preparation for the Senate hearing . The hearing for removal is conducted in the Senate and in the case of the impeachment of a president , the Chief Justice of the United States presides over the proceedings -LRB- otherwise the vice-president presides -RRB- , which are conducted as a trial with witnesses being heard under oath or affirmation . The defendant has the right to legal counsel , the right to cross-examine all witnesses , and the opportunity to testify in his or her defense . The senators must also take an oath or affirmation that they will perform their duties honestly and with due diligence . The hearing can not be conducted without a 50 % plus one quorum . After the hearing , the deliberations are held in private . Removal requires a two-thirds majority of the Senate .   Impeachment has its origins in English law but fell out of use in the 18th century . It exists under constitutional law in many nations around the world , including Brazil , the Republic of Ireland , Philippines , Russia , South Korea and the United States .