The impact of political scandals on political support: An experimental test of two theories

Abstract

One of the most obvious trends in Western democracies, during the past decades, has been the decline of citizens’ political support (that is, the growth of negative attitudes toward political parties, politicians and democracy). One explanation for this trend is that the number of political scandals has increased. However, the impact of political scandals on political support is not clear. Whereas the dysfunctional theory assumes that political scandals in general have an unfavourable impact on the political system, functional theory claims that political scandals can have positive effects. Using data from an experiment, this article analyses which theory is superior. It finds support for the dysfunctional theory: support for politicians and political parties was significantly eroded after exposure to scandal coverage whereas trust in institutions as well as satisfaction with democracy were not affected. The article concludes that political scandals contribute to the decline of political support.