The Illusion of Democracy: When Money Votes

This note observes that e-mails concerning political voting include sales talks and request money. Sending such messages is relatively costless and continue to be sent to recipients regardless of past payment. The note suggests that political advertising by e-mails follows the form of other e-mails attempting to sell something to the recipient. However, the note distinguishes buying “things” from “buying” “rulers” in that it is more costly to change our rulers. Therefore, the note suggests that we should “distinguish the way political proponents advertise, and be wary of how we respond to their advertising.”