The Bribery Advantage

A quote that is often falsely attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville says that “The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.” While the great Frenchman never made such a remark, it is certainly relevant to our current political situation. During the recent Vice Presidential Debate, for example, the moderators poked and prodded the candidates to see who could provide the American people with the most direct benefits. There was little talk of limited government or the fact that our national debt has surpassed thirty-five trillion dollars.

The quote is also insightful, because it points to a peculiar advantage that the left has gained in recent years. The modern political landscape allows them to engage in outright bribery. President Biden’s recent decision to cancel 4.5 billion dollars in student loan debt perfectly illustrates this dynamic. Less than a month before the election, he announced the cancellation of debt for 60,000 public service workers and used the occasion to brag that his administration had forgiven loans for more than 1 million Americans. He also ignored previous Supreme Court rulings that challenged his ability to unilaterally cancel debt without the approval of Congress. To put it mildly, President Biden’s decision to violate Constitutional norms while announcing his plans right before an election raises important questions about the ethical use of presidential power. 

Vice President Harris’ recent “plan for black men” is an even clearer example of using bribery to seek election. The VP claims that she will provide one million fully forgivable $20,000 loans to black men while helping them enter the new industry of legalized marijuana sales. In essence, Harris is telling black men that if they vote for her they will receive weed and cash. Apparently, she is also willing to revive racial discrimination to accomplish these goals. Unfortunately this is the level to which self-government has descended in this country.

In addition to its moral bankruptcy, another problem with the bribery method is that it benefits incumbents. President Joe Biden is able to deploy the resources of the federal government (i.e. the American taxpayer) to influence an election. By contrast, when a citizen uses their own money to support a candidate, they are threatened with potential legal action. This happened to Elon Musk, who just announced that he would randomly give $1 million every day until the election to a random person who signs his America PAC petition. NBC’s Kristen Welker indignantly reported the information to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro who encouraged law enforcement to “look at” Elon Musk. Such indignation was not present when President Biden took other people’s money to support Kamala Harris.

Throughout American history, many politicians have used unsavory tactics to get elected. Whether they received campaign contributions from shady groups or packed unnecessary pork into spending bills, politicians have never been perfectly  moral creatures. This is the first time in our nation’s history, however, that bribery has been used so openly. Responsible Americans must reject this trend and demand that if politicians are going to spend money for votes, they must use their own.