Scandal

Might scandals serve as a litmus test for American politics? Brandon Rottinghaus argues so. In this illuminating account, he shows that scandals bite hardest when our politics are reasonably healthy—when systems of accountability still function. But when polarization deepens and those systems falter, scandals—all too common in American life—cease to derail political careers. Unpunished scandals, we come to appreciate, stand as markers of democratic decay. -- William G. Howell, coauthor of <i>Trajectory of Power: The Rise of the Strongman Presidency</i> Rottinghaus tackles a complex, even explosive question: Why (and how) are some politicians able to survive scandals in this partisan age while others fall? He does so with clearheaded analysis, thorough and deep scrutiny, and a keen eye toward real-world politics. It’s a masterful job, well executed, by a major scholar who is at the top of his game. This may not be the final word on how politicians handle scandals, but it is clearly the best work we have to date. -- Michael A. Genovese, author of <i>The Modern Presidency: Six Debates That Define the Institution</i>