Question

If the governor appointed a loyal supporter to serve on the Sunset Advisory Commission, it would be considered an act of:

Answer 1

Answer:

Patronage.

Explanation:

Fundamentally, patronage means support provided in various forms by one individual, usually of a higher status, to another, in order to foster his or her activities and development.

In politics, highly positioned individual, such as governor in the given case, would use governmental resources to provide this a support. It would often come as a reward for electoral support to the elected official or in order to guarantee service to be provided by this individual in the future. When patronage takes a form of corruption, it becomes harmful to the democratic functioning of the government. Meanwhile, it can be legal and transparent.