Introducing Indispensable

We recently launched Indispensable, a twice-weekly newsletter on impeachment. 

(NB: This pop-up newsletter is no longer being published.)

The title comes from founding father James Madison, who believed that impeachment was “indispensable ... for defending the community against the incapacity, negligence or perfidy of the chief magistrate.” We hope our newsletter is an indispensable companion to help answer your questions about impeachment processes, the pressures on the figures involved, and the facts uncovered and their consequences.

Impeachment is the legislative branch’s ultimate check on the executive. But it is rarely used and has few rules to govern it. This newsletter is intended to guide readers through the evolving process of impeachment.

The players involved—congressional leaders, the White House, other government officials, and the American public—weigh information, make choices, and advance arguments which could alter the course of history. Indispensable tries to show how those decisions are made and what their effects will be.

We mark each edition by the number of days into each phase. We began at Day 49 of the inquiry—49 days since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the chamber was formally commencing its impeachment investigation. When and if the Senate begins its trial, as is widely expected, the day count will restart. And when the process ends, this newsletter will end.

Finally, please send us your burning questions about impeachment, to [email protected], and we will do our best to answer them. You can also check out our impeachment FAQ.

We'd also love your tips, insights, and resources or useful articles. Send them all! We hope to hear from you.