Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution grants the President the power to grant reprieves and pardons for federal offenses, except in cases of impeachment.

A pardon completely erases the conviction and restores the individual's civil rights, while a commutation only reduces the sentence or changes the conditions of confinement.

The process for applying for a presidential pardon begins with submitting an application to the Office of the Pardon Attorney, which is part of the Department of Justice.

The President considers all of these factors and more when deciding whether to grant a pardon.

There is no clear legal precedent on whether a President can pardon themselves. Some legal experts argue that the President's power to pardon does not extend to themselves, while others argue that the President has the authority to pardon anyone, including themselves.

Jimmy Carter granted 534 pardons during his presidency, more than any other President in history.

John Adams granted only 4 pardons during his presidency, the fewest of any President in history.

Commutation of sentence is the most common type of pardon granted by Presidents. It reduces the length of a sentence or changes the conditions of confinement.

The pardon of Richard Nixon by Gerald Ford is the most famous presidential pardon in history. Ford pardoned Nixon for any crimes he may have committed while in office, effectively ending the Watergate scandal.

The pardon of Joe Arpaio by Donald Trump is the most controversial presidential pardon in history. Arpaio was convicted of criminal contempt of court for refusing to comply with a court order to stop racial profiling in his capacity as sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona.

There are strong arguments both for and against presidential pardons. Ultimately, the decision of whether to grant a pardon is a complex one that must be made on a case-by-case basis.

All of these trends have been observed in recent years. Presidents are granting more pardons than in the past, they are granting pardons to more high-profile individuals, and they are granting pardons for a wider range of offenses.

All of these challenges have been identified by experts and critics of the presidential pardon process.

All of these proposals have been put forward by experts and critics of the presidential pardon process.