BENJAMIN GINSBERG and MARTIN SHEFTER

Politics by Other Means

"A prescient book." — E. J. Dionne, Washington Post

As the twentieth century closes, the United States is entering an era of postelectoral politics. Media revelations, congressional investigations, and judicial proceedings have replaced electoral competition as the primary weapons of political warfare — with President Clinton as their most visible target. This book addresses the long-term significance of the rise of the politics of scandal and the decline of electoral competition, arguing that as long as scandals dominate the political agenda, voters are repulsed by the political process and the government’s political effectiveness is weakened.