What is Article 1 Section 2 Clause 5?

Asked by: Einar Ferry  |  Last update: March 6, 2026
Score: 4.3/5 (22 votes)

Article I, Section 2, Clause 5 of the U.S. Constitution grants the House of Representatives the sole power to impeach federal officials and to choose their own Speaker and other officers, establishing the House as the body to initiate removal proceedings for misconduct in office. This clause is fundamental to the system of checks and balances, giving the legislature the authority to hold the executive and judicial branches accountable.

What is Article 1 Section 2 Clause 5 of the Constitution?

Clause 5 Impeachment

The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.

What are the qualifications for Article 2 Clause 5?

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident ...

What does article 1 section 5 mean?

Section 5: Powers and Duties of Congress

Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.

What does article 1 section 2 say about Impeachment?

The United States Constitution provides that the House of Representatives "shall have the sole Power of Impeachment" (Article I, section 2) and "the Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments … [but] no person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two-thirds of the Members present" (Article I, ...

The Constitution Line By Line: Article 1, Section 2, Clause 5- The Speaker of the House/ Impeachment

20 related questions found

Who has the power to impeach Trump?

House vote

shall have the sole Power of Impeachment." On December 17, the House Rules Committee held a hearing to write the rules governing the debate over impeachment. The first of three votes was on the rules governing debate: 228 to 197, with all Republicans and two Democrats voting no.

What is Article 1 Section 2 Clause 4?

Clause 4 Vacancies

When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.

Does the US president have to be born in the US?

This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 13 January 2026. Status as a natural-born citizen of the United States is one of the eligibility requirements established in the United States Constitution for holding the office of president or vice president.

Why is Article 1 so important?

Article I describes the design of the legislative branch of US Government -- the Congress. Important ideas include the separation of powers between branches of government (checks and balances), the election of Senators and Representatives, the process by which laws are made, and the powers that Congress has.

Did the founding fathers put God in the Constitution?

No, the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly mention God or a supreme being in its main text, a deliberate choice by the Founding Fathers to establish a secular government and protect religious freedom, though it does contain a date reference ("Year of our Lord") and the First Amendment prevents religious tests for office, reflecting a consensus on separation of church and state despite their personal faith. 

Can the President be removed from office?

The Senate holds an impeachment trial. In the case of a president, the U.S. Supreme Court chief justice presides. Learn more about the Senate's role in the impeachment process. If found guilty, the official is removed from office.

Why is Article 2 important?

Article II of the United States Constitution vests “the executive power” in the President. For more than two hundred years, advocates of presidential power have claimed that this phrase was originally understood to include a bundle of national security and foreign affairs authorities.

What does article 5 allow for?

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as ...

What does article 1 say in simple terms?

Article I of the U.S. Constitution establishes the Legislative Branch (Congress), dividing it into the House of Representatives and the Senate, and outlines its powers, like making laws, along with limits, ensuring a separation of powers. It details how representatives are elected (by population) and senators elected (originally by state legislatures, now by people), setting rules for lawmaking and defining key congressional duties like impeachment.
 

What is the salary for a Representative?

The compensation for most Senators, Representatives, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico is $174,000.

Can a non-member be Speaker of the House?

Eligibility of non-members

While every speaker of the House has been a sitting House member, Article I, Section II, Clause 5, of the U.S. Constitution, concerning the choosing of a speaker, does not explicitly state House membership as a requirement.

What is the Article 1 Section 5?

Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.

What is the Article 1 Section 2 of the Constitution?

No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.

Can a president change the Constitution?

The Constitution does not give a president the power to violate the Constitution, create or change congressional statutes, or override U.S. Supreme Court decisions—no matter what the EOs say.

What disqualifies someone from being president?

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident ...

Can Elon Musk run for president?

Musk, who was born in South Africa, is ineligible to run for the presidency or the vice presidency of the United States under the provisions of the United States Constitution. He is eligible to run for other offices, such as United States senator or representative, as well as to be a political party chair.

Who does Article 2 apply to?

Article Two vests the power of the executive branch in the office of the president of the United States, lays out the procedures for electing and removing/impeaching the president, and establishes the president's powers and responsibilities.

Is God mentioned in the U.S. Constitution?

No, the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly mention God, Jesus, or Christianity; its focus is secular, establishing government structure and guaranteeing religious freedom, though it uses the phrase "Year of our Lord" for dating the document and mentions "religion" in the First Amendment regarding no establishment of religion. The document instead separates church and state, ensuring no religious test for office and prohibiting a government-established religion, reflecting the founders' aim for religious liberty.
 

What is the main topic of section 2 article 1?

Article I, Section 2, specifies that the House of Representatives be composed of members who are chosen every two years by the people of the states.

Is the president the chief Law enforcement officer?

The Attorney General is the head of the DOJ and chief law enforcement officer of the Federal Government. The Attorney General represents the United States in legal matters, advises both the President and the heads of executive departments in the government, and occasionally appears in person before the Supreme Court.