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As Voters Head to the Polls, Will They Perceive a “Culture of Corruption?”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 September 2006

James A. McCann  and
David P. Redlawsk
James A. McCann
Affiliation:
Purdue University
David P. Redlawsk
Affiliation:
University of Iowa
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Extract

Republican Congressman Duke Cunningham resigns after pleading guilty to bribery. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is indicted and forced to relinquish his leadership position, and later resigns from Congress. House Democrat William Jefferson is stripped of his position on the Ways and Means Committee after an FBI raid of his congressional office and amid reports that he hid $90,000 in alleged bribes in a freezer at his home. Stories of wrongdoing in government surface almost daily as members of Congress come under a microscope for close ties to lobbyists. As the 2006 congressional elections approach, Democrats have made corruption a central theme in their campaigns, arguing that a series of scandals adds up to a full-blown culture of corruption. In response, Republicans have rejected this characterization and attempted to point the finger back at Democrats, suggesting that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.We thank Rosie Clawson and Bert Rockman for helpful comments.

Type
SYMPOSIUM—POLITICAL CORRUPTION IN THEORY, PRACTICE AND IN THE PUBLIC MIND
Information
PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 39 , Issue 4 , October 2006 , pp. 797 - 802
Copyright
© 2006 The American Political Science Association

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