Bribery and the Republic

I received the following quote the other day and was struck once again by the clarity with which de Tocqueville wrote about the American people. I am sure this applies to all peoples, but I find it especially scary at this time in the history of the United States of America.

The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money
- Alexis de Tocqueville