Whether it be a sex scandal, bribery scandal or corruption scandal, the most famous political misdeeds tend to have the potential to bring down entire governments. Greed and lust for power, as well as naivete, obsession, moral bankruptcy or misplaced loyalty, are all common ingredients in many of these events. The consequences can range from a few lost jobs to complete removal from office. Sometimes, the perpetrators are caught red-handed, but more often than not they go scot-free or escape with a light slap on the wrist.
The study of political scandals has been a subject of intense interest in the academic community since the early 1970s. The majority of research stems from North America and Europe and is mostly published in political science, psychology and communication journals. Almost all studies investigate the effects of scandals on politician’s evaluation by voters and election results. Most studies find that a scandal has negative evaluative consequences for politicians. However, five central moderators (candidate characteristics, behavior, prior attitudes, context, and scandal type) significantly influence these outcomes.
The articles in this Special Section address political scandal at the local, gubernatorial, presidential and Congressional level. Scandals are considered serious when they violate the ethical norms and public trust in government institutions. They are a major cause of the decline in the popularity and legitimacy of politics. This is why scholars have paid considerable attention to partisan versus non-partisan scandals, the importance of reputational damage and the blurring of the lines between public and private life in the case of specific scandals.