Follow the Money: Modern Cases of Congressional Corruption

Abstract

In spite of escalating efforts to curb abuse, fraud, and corruption in Congress, members of Congress persist in violating the norms, rules, and laws that aim to ensure they behave ethically. This chapter combines qualitative and quantitative analysis to describe congressional corruption in the modern era. Case studies illustrate consequential financial scandals while also differentiating four categories of corrupt financial practices.

Existing datasets on congressional scandals span the time period from 1972 to 2010, and this chapter extends the dataset to 2018. The analysis next uses the dataset to answer important questions empirically. Which types of scandals occur more often? Have these scandals grown more common or less common over time? What are the consequences of financial scandals for representatives' careers as public servants?

Citation

Basinger, S.J. (2022), "Follow the Money: Modern Cases of Congressional Corruption", Pomante, M.J. (Ed.) Scandal and Corruption in Congress, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 127-148. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80117-119-920221014