The Electoral Consequences of Scandals: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

As the number of scandals involving politicians in office rises worldwide, the number of studies dedicated to analysing these scandals and their consequences rises as well. In this article, we try to summarise this emerging literature focusing on quantitative studies that use scandal as an independent variable to model its influence on politicians’ electoral results. The analysis finds that scandal-ridden politicians tend to get fewer votes at the ballot box, are more likely to lose elections, and are less likely to win re-election. It also finds that the link between scandal and turnout is unclear; some models indicate that scandals depress turnout, while others report an increase in turnout.