Powell Case
POWELL CASE
POWELL CASE (Powell v. McCormack, 395 U.S. 486, 1969). In 1967 Adam Clayton Powell Jr., a veteran member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was denied membership in the House for alleged financial misconduct before his reelection in 1966. Powell challenged the House's decision in U.S. courts. At issue was whether the House could deny membership on any grounds other than those stipulated in the Constitution, namely, age, citizenship, and residence. In 1969 in Powell v. McCormack the Supreme Court ruled in Powell's favor, declaring that the House had exceeded its constitutional authority. The Powell case demonstrated the need for an external check to guarantee the people's right to a representative of their choice.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Dionisopoulos, P. A. Rebellion, Racism, and Representation: The Adam Clayton Powell Case and Its Antecedents. Dekalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 1970.
Hamilton, Charles V. Adam Clayton Powell Jr.: The Political Biography of an American Dilemma. New York: Atheneum and Maxwell Macmillan International, 1991.
P. AllanDionisopoulos/a. r.
See alsoCongress, United States ; Constitution of the United States .