The Cultural Myth of the American Democratic Scandal

• In Event: Myth and Symbol in U.S. American Culture

Abstract

This paper claims that there is a persistent cultural myth to the democratic scandal, which perpetuates and legitimizes the U.S. government’s ability to regulate itself, which limits the typical sovereign agency of “the people.” Members of the electorate, who are normally agents in democracy, have their agency limited in the scandal as the government is able to contend with the accused politician.

Author

• David R. Dewberry, Rider University