Political scandal occurs when the public learns of unethical or illegal behavior by politicians or government officials. Scandals can damage a politician’s reputation and lead to calls for reforms, even if they do not directly result in resignations or other formal reactions. They can also cause citizens to lose trust in their leaders and institutions, leading them to disengage from the political process. This loss of trust contributes to political cynicism, which can have lasting effects on democracy and governance.
A political scandal can take many forms, ranging from corruption—the abuse of entrusted power for personal gain—to unethical conduct such as lying or hypocrisy. Regardless of the specifics, all political scandals involve the misuse of public office for private gain and violate the trust that voters place in their representatives.
Investigations and media reporting play a central role in uncovering political scandals. News outlets can influence what is framed and reported as a scandal, and they often set the stage for future discussions about political misconduct. Politicians can also use strategic communication to trigger scandals through provocative utterances and slogans (Esser & Hartung, 2004).
In addition, research shows that the level of political polarization in a political system has important consequences for the production of scandals. Polarization encourages political misbehavior, decreases the value of political discourse, and increases the likelihood that a politician will be caught in a scandal. In new work, Professor Wioletta Dziuda of UChicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and her colleagues show that the more ideologically distant the political environment is from zero, the more likely a scandal will emerge.
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