Scandal and American Politics in the 21st Century

This book examines how scandal allegations have been managed in the contemporary era in the United States and how understandings of the impact of scandal on political credibility have changed over time. It incorporates prominent scandals, at both federal and state level, in which sudden and unexpected revelations created an uncertain political environment. The primary focus is on sex scandals and how damage limitation strategies have been utilized in order to try to limit and accommodate a demise in political standing. The book considers how damage limitation strategies were utilized, the core components of each, and their impact on the political standing of the individuals involved. Rather than marking the end of a political journey, scandal increasingly appears to be an issue that can be perceived as a temporary impediment in a political career.

Explores how scandal politics has evolved since the Watergate scandal Considers whether scandals are exploited primarily for partisan gain Analyses strategies of scandal management to minimize the impact of scandal allegations on political standing

Autorentext

Robert Busby is Senior Lecturer in Politics at the Department of History and Politics at Liverpool Hope University, UK.

Inhalt
Chapter 1:- Introduction.- Chapter 2:- Scandal: the causes, the problems and the outcomes.- Chapter 3:- Twentieth century issues: the lessons of the past.- Chapter 4:- Spitzer: the downfall of a governor.- Chapter 5:- John Edwards: the chaos of the cover-up.- Chapter 6:- Mark Sanford : hiking in Appalachia.- Chapter 7:- Anthony Weiner: the perils of social media.- Chapter 8:- Donald Trump: the Teflon don.- Chapter 9:- Conclusion.