1. POL 375
Spring 2020

5. Introduction:
The Role of Scandals of Government

7.  Three Reasons for Studying Scandal:
 Learn why some events become scandals, while
others do not
 Provide knowledge about aftermath of
inappropriate behavior by public figures
▪ Short and Long-Term Effects
 Learn about society as a whole

9. Instructions:
On a scratch sheet of paper, write down
anything and everything that comes to mind
relating to the word:
SCANDAL

10. Instructions:
Write your own definition of scandal.
Feel free to use some of the words
that you listed in the last exercise.
Pair up in small groups
and share your definitions.

11.  Political scandal involves political leader/ figure
 Main action(s) or event(s) of a scandal involve
some sort of behavioral transgression
 Behavior must be known to others
 Behavior must be serious enough to elicit a
public response

12.  Action
 Publicity
 Public Response

16.  1) Substantive Stage
 Involves secrecy or concealment
 Actions which breaches norm (embezzlement, sexual
liaison, etc.)
 News Break / Revolution of Conduct
 2) Procedural Stage (procedural scandal,
“Second-OrderTransgressions”)
 Political response serving to conceal, justify, deny,
mitigate behavior; cover-up

18.  Formal investigation NOT necessarily for
scandal to have media coverage / public
outrage
 Scandal does NOT have to be illegal act—
could just be misjudgment (or series of them)
 Scandals defined by political culture

19. What is Scandal?

21.  “Scandal” – Refers to actions or events
involving certain kinds of transgressions
which become known to others and are
sufficiently serious to elicit a public
response”

23.  1) Occurrence or existence of scandal involves
transgression of certain values, norms,
or moral codes
 Minor or Large-Scale Events NOT scandalous
 “Scandals occupy a sort of middle ground of impropriety”
 Importance of CulturalValues in Locations
 Idea of “Moralization”

24.  2) Occurrence or existence contains secrecy
or concealment, but they are known or
strongly believed to exist by others NOT
directly involved (“Non-Participants”)
 Scandal characterized by drama of
concealment and disclosure
 Example: Bill Clinton and Kenneth Starr

25.  3) Non-participants disapprove of
scandalous actions/events, and may even
be offended by transgression

26.  4) Non-participants may express
disapproval through publicly denouncing
transgression
 What is “opprobrious discourse?”
 Emphasis on printed (e.g. newspapers,
magazines) or electronic (radio,TV, Internet)
media

27.  5) Disclosure and condemnation of actions
or events may damage reputation of
individuals responsible for them
 Damage or loss of reputation always at risk
during scandal—although standing might be
enhanced
 Any real-life examples of this occurring?

28.  Scandal = “struggle for name”
 Possibilities for Counter-Strategies:
 1)Threaten Legal Action
 2) Reject Allegations
 3)Take Moral “High Ground”
 4) Public Confession

30. Instructions:
In pairs, review the text of Bill Clinton’s address,
marking text containing a counter-strategy.
Note which one (denial, confession, etc. ) is used.

34.  Corruption
 Political Crime
 Gossip
 Rumors
 Mistakes and Errors

36. Instructions:
On a scratch sheet of paper, write down
anything and everything that comes to mind
relating to the word:
CORRUPTION

37. Instructions:
Write your own definition of corruption.
Feel free to use some of the words
that you listed in the last exercise.

38. Defining Corruption

39.  “Corruption” as is defined in laws of nations
 “Corruption” as is affects the public
 “Corruption” as it defined by public opinion

41.  “Behavior which deviates from the normal
duties of a public role because of private-
regarding (family, close private clique)
pecuniary or status gains; or violates rules
against the exercise of certain types of
private-regarding influence…”

43.  Are family and close friends all that matter?
 Who or what else might corrupt activities
benefit?
 Issue of defining “corruption” in other nations

45.  Nepotism
 Patronage
 Legislative Conflict of Interest
 Bureaucratic Conflict of Interest

48.  Differ from official corruption. How?
 Embezzlement vs. Fraud
 Embezzlement – Corruption by govt. official
 Fraud – Misconduct by private citizens
 Error and Waste

50.  Legal Definitions
 Public Interest Definitions
 Nazi Germany
 Urban Renewal
 Public Opinion Definitions

52.  Public Corruption
 Administrative Corruption
 Political Corruption
 Grand Corruption
 Petty Corruption

53. White Corruption
Black Corruption
Grey Corruption

56.  Definition consists of five conditions that all
must be satisfied simultaneously:
 Corruption occurs when a corruptor (1)
covertly gives (2) a favour to a corruptee or
to a nominee to influence (3) action(s) that
(4) benefit the corruptor or a nominee, and
for which the corruptee has (5) authority.

57. Instructions:
In color groups, decide if your
assigned scenario is corrupt or not.

58.  Scenario #1: President DonaldTrump
announces that his daughter, Ivanka, will be the
next Secretary of State.
 Scenario #2: A policeman demands cash to not
give you a parking ticket.
 Scenario #3: AWall Street analyst intentionally
gives their clients bad advice to benefit his firm.
 Scenario #4: A Middle Eastern despot builds a
new palace with oil revenues.

60. Nixon Pardon,
September 8, 1974

62.  Hypothetical situations
 Respondent, “Most public officials,”
“Most of the public”
 What factors did variations of corruption
correspond to?
 When were actions seen as MORE corrupt?
 When were actions seen as LESS corrupt?

63.  Respondents more likely to label as corrupt
acts that:
 Involved larger sums of money
 Involved public officials
 Involved direct taking
 Involved officials keeping money
 Where rule-breaker is prominent public figure