"There have been many books on individual 'affairs' and causes celebres of various kinds, but considerably fewer on the social and historical significance of political scandal in general. Yet, the phenomenon has recently emerged as a key new area of study. This is partly because of the exposure of political corruption and the growth of corruption scandals in advanced democracies since the 1980s, which have made clear that scandals are a typical phenomenon of the modern age." "This book, edited by a historian and a political scientist, combines the two disciplines to examine the constant and changing features of political scandal over the past three centuries. It draws on work by a distinguished international team of scholars to explore the phenomenon both in general terms and as evidenced in Britain, Ireland, France, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Russia, the USA and Australia. It also offers a fascinating 'insider's account' of the role of the press in the reporting - and indeed manufacture - of some of the most memorable scandals of recent years. Though their content has changed greatly over time, the assumption is that scandals also have certain enduring features in terms of their character, the conditions under which they occur, their evolution and effects. They also have much to tell us about the societies in which they occur." "Primarily directed at undergraduate and postgraduate students, the book will be useful for academics with an interest in corruption and scandal. It will also be of interest to anyone concerned about an increasingly conspicuous feature of modern liberal democratic societies."--Jacket.