The Republic of Virtue. F. H. Buckley

      PRAISE FOR

       The Republic of Virtue

      “Political corruption, in the form of crony capitalism, is a silent killer of our economy. Drawing on the genius of our Founding Fathers, Frank Buckley’s new book shows how we can rein it in and help restore the Republic.”

       —William J. Bennett, former Secretary of Education, best-selling author

      “Buckley diagnoses the corruption that ails American government, and offers up a coherent, lucid alternative program for restoring virtue and making American government once again a government of, by, and for the people.”

      —Bradley A. Smith, Capital University Law School, author of Unfree Speech

      “This is Buckley at his colorful, muckraking best—an intelligent, powerful, but depressing argument laced with humor.

      —Gordon S. Wood, Pulitzer Prize winner, author of The Radicalism of the American Revolution

      PRAISE FOR

       The Way Back: Restoring the Promise of America

      “Frank Buckley marshals tremendous data and insight in a compelling study.”

       —Francis Fukuyama

      “Another excellent book! It is full of marvelously shrewd observation, as well as scholarship, both aimed at subjects of the greatest importance.”

       —Jonathan Clark

      “Best book of the year.”

       —Michael Anton

      PRAISE FOR

       The Once and Future King: The Rise of Crown Government in America

      “His prose explodes with energy.”

       —James Ceasar

      © 2017 by F.H. Buckley

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Encounter Books, 900 Broadway, Suite 601, New York, New York, 10003.

      First American edition published in 2017 by Encounter Books, an activity of Encounter for Culture and Education, Inc., a nonprofit, tax exempt corporation.

      Encounter Books website address: www.encounterbooks.com

      The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48—1992 (R 1997) (Permanence of Paper).

      FIRST AMERICAN EDITION

      LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

      Names: Buckley, F. H. (Francis H.), 1948– author.

      Title: The republic of virtue: how we tried to ban corruption, failed, and what we can do about it / by F.H. Buckley.

      Description: New York: Encounter Books, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

      Identifiers: LCCN 2017006460 (print) | LCCN 2017035611 (ebook) | ISBN 9781594039713 (Ebook)

      Subjects: LCSH: Misconduct in office—United States. | Political corruption—Law and legislation—United States. | Bribery—Law and legislation—United States.

      Classification: LCC KF9409 (ebook) | LCC KF9409 .B83 2017 (print) | DDC 345.73/0232--dc23

      LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017006460

       For Esther, Sarah,

       Nick & Benjamin Herbert

      Contents

I. THE UNITED STATES OF CORRUPTION

1. Our Machiavellian Moment

Pay-for-Play Networks

Republican Virtue

2. Excusing Corruption

The Mutual Protection Association

The Polemarchist

       The Apologist

3. The Silent Killer

Rent-Seeking

Measuring Corruption

The Cost of Corruption

The Rule of Law

4. The Dream of a Virtuous Republic

The Separation of Powers

Federalism

Money

Three Proposals

II. THE SEPARATION OF POWERS

5. An Anticorruption Covenant

The Constitutional Convention

Filtering Virtue

Choosing a Virtuous President

6. What Corruption Meant to the Framers

Republican Virtue

       Extensive Virtue

       Governing Above Faction

       Private Virtue

       Religious Virtue—and Vice

       7. The Promise of Virtuous Government

       Reining In the Presidency

       Electing a