Let’s call it “soft bribery.” A businessman donates to a politician’s campaigns over the years and makes clear to said pol that when his time in government is up, he will be taken care of—provided he works for the businessman’s interests while on the inside. This arrangement is so common that its terms never have to be hinted at, much less stated. It’s just understood that this is how our system works. Monied interests know what they must do to “get things done” while aspiring pols know that “government service” is the surest path to wealth for those who can’t hack it in tech or finance.
