Politics and Personal Conduct: The Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal and Public Trust

Abstract

The Clinton-Lewinsky affair was a highly publicized scandal during the late 1990s that left a lasting mark on the public’s trust in the presidency. This paper contextualizes Clinton’s scandal in the framework of presidential scandals and their repercussions. This study analyzes public approval polls, media coverage, and impeachment articles to explore how the fallout of the scandal influenced public perceptions of Bill Clinton’s authority as president. The findings suggest a complex dynamic wherein public trust in President Bill Clinton's personal character declined while his job approval ratings remained relatively stable. This dichotomy of low trust and high approval suggests a disparity between personal misconduct and professional performance in the eyes of the public. Furthermore, this paper investigates the long-term implications of the scandal for subsequent presidencies and the evolving expectations of presidential conduct. This study’s goal was to analyze public approval in the president over history in the context of Bill Clinton’s historical scandal.