India has long had a political debate over “revadi politics”, the practice of offering voters direct financial benefits to win their support. Now, it has reached American politics.
US President Donald Trump has promised a $5,000 “dividend” to every adult American citizen if Republicans retain control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the November midterm elections. Trump announced at the Republican Party’s midterm convention in Dallas, directly linking the proposed payment to a Republican victory.
“If the Republicans win, you win with us, and you get $5,000,” Trump said in his statement.
Trump did not say that only Republican voters would receive the money. His proposal is for every adult US citizen, regardless of how they vote, provided Republicans win both chambers of Congress.
Trump called it a “dividend” and said the money would have to be spent within the United States. But the announcement came without a clear explanation of where the money would come from, how the payments would be authorised or how the scheme would actually be implemented. Well, just like Indian political parties who never specify where the money is going to come from for these freebies.
And the numbers are staggering. With roughly 270 million adults in the United States, a $5,000 payment could cost around $1.35 trillion. Other estimates put the cost at more than $1 trillion depending on eligibility. Definitely not coming out of Trump’s pocket.
That immediately raises the obvious question, who pays for it? Trump has previously floated the idea of using tariff revenues for direct payments, but no detailed funding mechanism has been announced for this proposal. The plan could also face questions over congressional approval and its legality.
So, welcome to America’s version of revadi politics. The language may be different, maybe called “dividend” instead of “freebie”, but the political logic is remarkably familiar, help me win the election, and voters get money.
Whether it is economically sustainable or politically effective remains to be seen. But one thing is clear, populist politics and freebie politics is no longer confined to one country or one political ideology. Even the world’s richest democracy is discovering that, sometimes, the most powerful election pitch can be very simple, “Vote for us, and you get a cheque.”
