Congressional oversight and impeachment are important ways to keep presidential power in check in the United States. They help ensure that no one part of the government becomes too strong.

Congressional Oversight

1. What Is It?
   Congressional oversight is when Congress checks and looks over the work of federal agencies, programs, and policies.

2. Ways to Oversee:

   • Hearings: Congress holds hearings to investigate issues and listen to government officials. In one year, Congress had over 300 hearings on different actions taken by the executive branch.
   • Reports: Committees write reports to review how well the executive branch is doing. For example, in 2020, one committee published 70 reports about problems in federal government.
   • Control of Money: Congress handles the federal budget. This means the executive branch has to explain how they spend money, which can limit what the president can do. In 2021, Congress decided on about $1.4 trillion for spending, affecting the president's plans.

Impeachment

1. What Is Impeachment?
   Impeachment is a process outlined in the Constitution for charging a sitting president with wrongdoing.

2. A Bit of History:

   • Since the U.S. was founded, only three presidents have been impeached: Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump.
   • Donald Trump is unique because he was impeached twice, once in 2019 and again in 2021. This shows how serious and rare impeachment is.

3. How It Works:

   • The House of Representatives can impeach a president, needing a simple majority to do so. For Donald Trump's impeachment in 2020, the vote was 232 in favor and 197 against.
   • After impeachment, the Senate holds a trial. To convict the president, a two-thirds majority (67 out of 100 senators) is needed, and this has never happened.

Conclusion

By using congressional oversight and the impeachment process, Congress helps keep the power balanced in the federal government. This system ensures that the president is held accountable and that they can't overstep their authority, maintaining the important principle of checks and balances in the U.S. Constitution.