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Kenneth Greene, Professor of Government, The University of Texas at Austin

Offering cash for votes is quite common – but here’s why it doesn’t work

President Donald Trump's offer to pay out $5,000 checks if Republicans win belongs to a long political tradition of cash for votes. AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

Politics is about the distribution of power and money. So it comes as little surprise that many politicians campaign on the material benefits that citizens can expect if those candidates win.

President Donald Trump has been no different in this respect. He has promised voters, among other things, a “DOGE dividend” using money saved by cutting federal jobs, rebates from tariff revenues, and a diversion of money currently used to subsidize health insurance companies directly to Americans.

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