Political scandal is a powerful force in politics, fueling public outrage and calls for reform. It exposes unethical or illegal behavior by political leaders and can undermine trust in government institutions. It also erodes voter turnout and increases cynicism about the integrity of elections and governmental processes.
Although the word “corruption” is frequently used to describe politicians’ misbehavior, it has a specific meaning that is often overlooked. Corruption involves the abuse of power for private gain. When political officials make decisions based on money or other forms of undue private benefit, they distort policy and hurt the public. In the Gilded Age, for example, political corruption allowed robber barons to avoid regulation and gobble up public resources on favorable terms. In the present era of Citizens United, a flood of unlimited spending has allowed wealthy donors to dominate American politics in ways that would be illegal or at least highly questionable in other countries.
In this week’s episode, we talk to Charles Hunt and Jaclyn Kettler about their recent paper, “Political Scandal: When, Why, and How.” Their research sheds light on the underlying dynamics that determine whether a party will report political misbehavior, how much scandal it will generate, and what impact it will have on the public.
Specifically, the study focuses on local politicians who are involved in the Clean Hands scandal in Argentina and finds that, if their party is hit with a partisan scandal, they are less likely to be elected to provincial and regional assemblies in the 15 years following the scandal, even if they do not engage in corrupt behaviors themselves. This suggests that scandals are often effective partisan cudgels, and that political parties use them strategically to maximize the benefits of corruption.