Erica Frantz

Yeah, that's an excellent observation about the intricate ways in which the business community has aligned with Trump. So I study authoritarian politics primarily, and corruption is very common in authoritarian politics. It's kind of the norm. Democracies are not immune from corruption either. But what we see is that particularly in personalist dictatorships where power is really concentrated—

Yeah, that's an excellent observation about the intricate ways in which the business community has aligned with Trump. So I study authoritarian politics primarily, and corruption is very common in authoritarian politics. It's kind of the norm. Democracies are not immune from corruption either. But what we see is that particularly in personalist dictatorships where power is really concentrated—

that corruption plays an important role in enabling the leader to distribute perks to their base of supporters. So in these really personalist places, leaders rely on a fairly narrow group of supporters to maintain power. So they don't need the support of everybody. They just need the loyalty of a select group of individuals.

that corruption plays an important role in enabling the leader to distribute perks to their base of supporters. So in these really personalist places, leaders rely on a fairly narrow group of supporters to maintain power. So they don't need the support of everybody. They just need the loyalty of a select group of individuals.

So what they do is ensure that these individuals have access to the perks of power. And this often happens in a corrupt fashion. One of the things that's interesting to observe is that corruption can also help the leader gain greater control over these individuals.

So what they do is ensure that these individuals have access to the perks of power. And this often happens in a corrupt fashion. One of the things that's interesting to observe is that corruption can also help the leader gain greater control over these individuals.

So there's a quote from Mexico during its authoritarian regime in the 20th century that a politician who stays poor is poor at politics. And that gets at the fact that, you know, many politicians are going to be corrupt in an authoritarian system. So it's not unusual that they take the bait and engage in these corrupt activities, but

So there's a quote from Mexico during its authoritarian regime in the 20th century that a politician who stays poor is poor at politics. And that gets at the fact that, you know, many politicians are going to be corrupt in an authoritarian system. So it's not unusual that they take the bait and engage in these corrupt activities, but

But once the leader, you know, has established this relationship, ensuring that these individuals are getting the spoils of office in a corrupt fashion, the leader kind of owns them. Because at any moment that the leader suddenly questions their loyalty or grows suspicious of their intentions—

But once the leader, you know, has established this relationship, ensuring that these individuals are getting the spoils of office in a corrupt fashion, the leader kind of owns them. Because at any moment that the leader suddenly questions their loyalty or grows suspicious of their intentions—

they can charge those individuals with corruption and purge them by saying that, oh, this person was engaged in corruption. We saw Xi Jinping do this with his big anti-corruption effort a while back, where he went after his big opponents. But we see it in a lot of other personalist environments where corruption is used strategically.

they can charge those individuals with corruption and purge them by saying that, oh, this person was engaged in corruption. We saw Xi Jinping do this with his big anti-corruption effort a while back, where he went after his big opponents. But we see it in a lot of other personalist environments where corruption is used strategically.

The leader is relying on corruption to secure the support of key elites and also owns these elites by virtue of this because he has access to information about their illicit activities that they can use at any moment to purge these people from positions of power, imprison them and so forth.

The leader is relying on corruption to secure the support of key elites and also owns these elites by virtue of this because he has access to information about their illicit activities that they can use at any moment to purge these people from positions of power, imprison them and so forth.

Sure. So I don't know all of the details of, you know, Biden's relationship with the super rich or of Russia's relationship with the oligarchs. But in general, we think about corruption as an abuse of public office for private gain.

Sure. So I don't know all of the details of, you know, Biden's relationship with the super rich or of Russia's relationship with the oligarchs. But in general, we think about corruption as an abuse of public office for private gain.

So usually robust institutionalized democracies like the United States have a lot of rules in place to ensure that public officials can't use those posts for private gain. It doesn't mean that these things aren't always breached. You know, I'm sure that there is corruption in the United States, not nearly the degree to which there is in Russia.

So usually robust institutionalized democracies like the United States have a lot of rules in place to ensure that public officials can't use those posts for private gain. It doesn't mean that these things aren't always breached. You know, I'm sure that there is corruption in the United States, not nearly the degree to which there is in Russia.

But in general, there are some sort of processes for ensuring that this doesn't happen. And those processes are, for the most part, respected. In a place like Russia, under Putin, there are all sorts of breaches of these rules and all sorts of funneling of money overseas into overseas accounts.

But in general, there are some sort of processes for ensuring that this doesn't happen. And those processes are, for the most part, respected. In a place like Russia, under Putin, there are all sorts of breaches of these rules and all sorts of funneling of money overseas into overseas accounts.