From bribery to unethical behavior, political scandals reveal misconduct or corruption that shakes public trust in government. These events are often accompanied by legal repercussions and reforms aimed at increasing transparency and accountability. They also influence ongoing debates about ethical behavior in politics and can shape political culture.
Greed and lust—for power, for money, for sex—are among the most common ingredients of scandal, and the consequences can be severe. Some scandals can be short-lived, but others have lasting impact. Whether the culprits face imprisonment, loss of office, or disgrace, their reputations suffer. But what really drives the rise of these events?
New research by Wioletta Dziuda and William Howell of the University of Chicago sheds light on why political scandals occur so often. They find that the level of political polarization in a country dramatically accelerates the production of these controversies, and incentivizes politicians to engage in questionable conduct knowing that their party will back them. This reduces the value of political discourse and confuses voters about what they can trust from their politicians.
They also explore the long-term effects of these scandals, and find that local politicians whose parties are hit by a scandal become less likely to be elected in future elections (at the municipal level). This finding supports previous work showing strategic parliamentary dissolutions following scandals. They also investigate the impact on local politicians’ career development, and find that they are more likely to break ties with the implicated party in the years following a scandal, or to switch political parties.
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