Can a politician just buy votes?

[somebodyfromnc]

Originally Posted by mightleavenyc

Just wondering if it's legal with all this reparations and debt erasing talk. Is it legal?

No, it is not legal to go up to someone and hand them cash in exchange for their vote. You can, however, promise them all the "free" crap you want, and that's perfectly fine.

[LINative]

Originally Posted by mightleavenyc

Just wondering if it's legal with all this reparations and debt erasing talk. Is it legal?

Can a politician buy votes? Lol, have you ever heard of the Democratic Party?

Seriously, all parties buy votes to varying extents and its not just in the United States. Maybe not so much by directly giving it to individual voters (kind of expensive) but by making promises to potential voters.

Just one recent example, Elizabeth Warren is promising free child care (among other things) to some voters, despite the huge Federal budget deficit and despite that it will most likely just encourage private child care agencies to steeply raise their prices because the government will be now paying for it.

Politicians in turn are bought by from corporations and other lobbyists. This helps explain why Congress is so slow to act on obvious abuses (like the recent explosion in prices in medicine, even insulin) until the public finally becomes united enough and demands it.

[jacqueg]

Originally Posted by mightleavenyc

Just wondering if it's legal with all this reparations and debt erasing talk. Is it legal?

It used to be. Ward-heelers of all stripes would head to the bars on election day with fistfuls of cash. Anyone who thinks that elections are uniquely corrupt these days doesn't know much history.

The question is, are you as a voter being bought when you vote for the candidate whose policies will result in a better outcome for you personally? My response would be, well then, are you supposed to vote for the candidates who favor policies that lead to a poorer outcome for you personally, to avoid the appearance of being bought? I suspect you won't get many voters to sign up for that.