It used to be much more common and legal for politicians to buy votes with quid pro quo food, gifts, beer, etc.

if a politician gave me 4 months rent in exchange for voting for him, that would be more then the Democrats have given me under Biden.

I'm interested in the history of the practice and the state's fear of the idea that someone might buy votes like cash and thus only the rich, not easily swayed by so small a kickback as 4 thousand dollars, should be allowed to vote for the people who will give them their billions in corporate subsidies.

idk it's this very liberal, civic/electorally orientation to the vote and other forms of democracy are pure and sacred and innocent and uncorrupted, something miserable and pettie bourgeois and very very white.

anyone have any reading on this phenomena?

so far I'm thinking through George Dangerfield's Strange Death of Libera

l England