What Makes A Scandal?
Twentieth-Century Political Scandals Provide Guidance Scandals don’t happen in vacuums. Rather, they need a proper atmosphere. Think of a tree falling in the forest. If no one is around to hear it, it goes unnoticed. If the tree was felled by the rules, then those who learn of it do not object. So it is with scandals: actions and activities must be noticed for a scandal to occur, and there must be an atmosphere intolerant of the action or activity for a scandal to occur. By definition (according to The American Heritage Dictionary) a scandal is “an act or circumstance that brings about disgrace or offends the morality of the social community.” Thus, there must be a community of disapproval for an action to be scandalous. Presidential scandals often happen when the public is suddenly not as tolerant as it once was of a president’s behavior – his conduct, or even a mindset that existed before he assumed office and was fully known to voters at that time. To appreciate this historical para
