Political Scandal: A Theory

Abstract

We study a model that characterizes the conditions under which past misbehavior becomes the subject of present scandal, with consequences for both the implicated politician and the parties that work with him. In the model, both authentic and fake scandals arise endogenously within a political framework involving two parties that trade off benefits of continued collaboration with a suspect politician against the possibility of reputational fallout. Rising polarization between the two parties, we show, increases the likelihood of scandal while decreasing its informational value. Scandals that are triggered by only the opposing party, we also find, are reputationally damaging to both parties and, in some instances, reputationally enhancing to the politician. The model also reveals that jurisdictions with lots of scandals are not necessarily beset by more misbehavior. Under well‐defined conditions, in fact, scandals can be a sign of political piety.

No Laughing Matter: Armin Laschet and the Photographic Exposé

“…The information, which emerged in late 2020, propelled into a scandal despite Laschet's insistence that his son had only wanted to help in a difficult situation. Face mask manufacturers who were not approached by the regional government accused Laschet of nepotism, while regional politicians from the rival SPD questioned his ethics (Goldmann 2020).…”

“…At a broader level, the paper's focus on the photographic exposé offers a two-sided contribution to the study of political communication. While there is now a sizable body of work on political scandals (e.g., Allern et al 2012;Barbiero 2020;Dziuda and Howell 2021;Jimenez 2004;Thompson 2000), it only pays fleeting attention to the role of photographic images in these processes. More broadly, visual politics is by no means a new field.…”

The Law: “If Men Were Angels”: The Legal Dynamics of Overseeing the Executive Branch

“…As a result, the internal and political dynamics of legislative committees during oversight are complex, theatrical, and not entirely driven by evidence (Geddes 2020a; 2020b). Partisan polarization can make scandal production and information suppression more likely (see Dziuda and Howell 2021).…”

Do Scandals Matter?

“…Others, who seem equally culpable, escape conviction and retire with dignity” (2). Specifically, partisanship limits the negative impact of scandals (Entman 2012; Dziuda and Howell 2020; Wolsky 2022; Funck and McCabe 2021). Partisans stress different messages about scandals based upon partisanship (McKee, Evans, and Clark 2021) and may rake in additional campaign contributions from party faithful (Hamel and Miller 2018).…”