As scandals increasingly dominate the political agenda, Benjamin Ginsberg and Martin Shefter argue in this book, the United States is entering an era of postelectoral politics, with media revelations, congressional investigations, and judicial proceedings replacing elections as the primary tools of political competition. In a far-reaching shift of the political landscape, contenders now seek to discredit or take hostage their opponents rather than to expand the electorate or otherwise compete for votes.

In this newly revised edition, the authors discuss the long-term significance of the rise of the politics of scandal and the decline of electoral competition. They argue that as long as scandals and the media circus dominate the political agenda, the voter is increasingly alienated, the government's effectiveness weakened, and the democratic process threatened.