ABSTRACT
The chapter explores the 1980s and 1990s’ backlash against Watergate-era public corruption reforms. Growing political polarization reduced the willingness of partisans to hold members of their partisan coalitions accountable for immoral or unethical behavior. During the 1980s and 1990s, independent counsels investigated several high-level executive branch officials from both Republican and Democratic administrations for possible violations of criminal law. Of these investigations, the Iran-Contra and Clinton investigations received the most attention. Republican and Democratic partisans pulled out all stops to discredit these investigations. During the same time, efforts increased to discredit Watergate-era public corruption reforms and efforts increased to strengthen laws directed at requiring all citizens to adhere to strict moral standards. The 1980s and 1990s saw a significant strengthening of penalties for the possession and distribution of illegal drugs. Christian conservatives intensified efforts to stop abortions and to prevent the expansion of civil liberties to members of the LGBTQ community. The country became much more sharply divided over whether or not to grant individuals greater freedom over lifestyle choices. The chapter argues that the long-term impact of these successful efforts to discredit public corruption investigations made it much easier for public officials to escape consequences for arguably immoral conduct. Extreme moral polarization in American society made it easier for public officials to seek protection from moral loyalist more concerned about winning the battle over personal morality than combating misuse of public officials for personal financial or ideological gain.
