Day: November 8, 2025

The abuse of entrusted power for personal gain can warp politics and harm society. It may taint institutions, reduce public trust in politicians and government agencies, or prompt calls for reforms and stronger safeguards. Historical scandals, like Watergate or Iran-Contra, have had lasting effects, reshaping the public discourse about corruption and influencing political leadership.

Political scandal is a dynamic force in the life of any democracy, but how do we understand its causes and consequences? This Special Issue draws on research in various disciplines to explore the nuances of political scandal and its effects. The articles in this volume use a variety of methodologies and theoretical frameworks, including social psychology, communication science, and political science. They examine how political scandals are generated, how they are framed and reported in the media, and how they impact public perception and behavior.

A well-known characteristic of political scandals is that they often arise from polarization. Politicians and other actors with power have incentives to manipulate what is framed as a scandal in order to influence public debate and smear competitors. The more extreme the ideological split between parties is, the more the aligned party will try to protect its politician from accusations of misconduct and the opposing side will be willing to throw baseless accusations at him or her.

In addition, the way a political scandal is reported in the media has a large influence on its perceived seriousness and legitimacy. For example, experiments show that when a news item is about a small norm transgression, people tend to evaluate the scandal as less serious than when it involves a larger sum of money.

Political asylum is a form of protection granted by host countries to people who are fleeing persecution or fear of persecution in their home country on the basis of one of five protected grounds: race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. People seeking asylum typically do so because they cannot return safely to their home country, due to violence, poverty, or other factors. In FY 2024, USCIS found 70,549 people to have a credible fear of persecution.

People can apply for asylum either affirmatively through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or defensively through an immigration judge in removal proceedings. Defensive applications are growing at a rate of fivefold, according to TRAC, and they have surpassed affirmative asylum cases since 2014.

The government can grant or deny asylum, but it is required under international law not to return someone to a situation where their life or safety would be in danger (the principle of non-refoulement). This means that the U.S. must be willing to offer safe haven to everyone who comes to its borders or territory seeking asylum, regardless of whether they are arriving at a port of entry or are already in the United States.

But asylum laws and policies are complicated, and they change from time to time, reflecting the priorities of different presidential administrations. As a result, many people are confused about how to proceed and are stuck in lengthy backlogs. Ultimately, though, a person’s legal status does not fully capture who they are as a child, teacher, artist, parent, football fan, or any other human being.