Dr. Brian Carso J.D., Ph.D, and associate professor of history and government, hosted a lecture discussing impeachment for Constitution Day on Oct. 3.

The talk was hosted by the Government, Law and National Security (GLNS) program and is the second speech Carso offered on the subject, following one he presented at the State University of New York earlier in September.

Every year, college campuses that receive federal funds must observe Constitution Day, also known as Citizenship Day, which is dedicated to recognizing the ratification of the United States Constitution and honoring those who have become citizens through naturalization or coming of age.

The topic for this year’s celebration was a lecture that addressed impeachment, what it means and how it would affect the current presidency.

The lecture was about 45 minutes long and answered questions like “why did the framers of the Constitution include a procedure for impeachment?” and “how might it affect the presidency of Donald Trump?”

Throughout the talk, Carso explained the procedures for impeachment, examples of how it was applied to past presidents Richard Nixon, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, who have dealt with impeachment, and how impeachment may affect the Trump administration.

He began his lecture with the question “what does impeachment mean?” Carso explained that, in order for a president or vice president to be impeached, they must be convicted of “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” He also highlighted the definition of impeachment. He said it is “when you are charged with wrongdoing by the House of Representatives and a simple majority vote.”

Constitution Day, according to Carso, is a “good opportunity for a communal civics lesson” and to make people more knowledgeable of how government processes work.

Students who attended the lecture thought the topic Dr. Carso spoke about was relevant and important. Senior GLNS major Stephanie Pagan said it was important because it helped people form more educated opinions on the topic.

“It is important to learn about the process because it allows people to make educated judgments about the topic,” she said.