In America today, a public official's lawful income consists of a salary. But until a century ago, the law frequently provided for officials to make money on a profit-seeking basis. Prosecutors won a fee for each defendant convicted. Tax collectors received a percentage of each evasion uncovered. Naval officers took a reward for each ship sunk. Numerous other officers were likewise paid for "performance." This book is the first to document the American government's for-profit past, to discover how profit-seeking defined officialdom's relationship to the citizenry, and to explain how lawmakers-by ultimately banishing the profit motive in favor of the salary-transformed that relationship forever.

Book Information
ISBN 9780300194753
Author Nicholas R. Parrillo
Format Paperback
Page Count 584
Imprint Yale University Press
Publisher Yale University Press
Weight(grams) 794g