Corrupt Bargain
The term "Corrupt Bargaining" is used to describe a political agreement or transaction that is unethical in nature. It can involve any type of exchange, from money and goods to favors and votes. In the context of history, the most famous example of a corrupt bargain was between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay during the 1824 presidential election.
At this time, there were no rules for determining who would become president if none of the candidates won an absolute majority of electoral votes. The vote went to the House of Representatives, where each state delegation had one vote regardless of its size; 13 states voted for Adams, while 11 voted for Andrew Jackson. With help from his ally Henry Clay (who also ran as a candidate but dropped out before voting began), Adams was able to win by securing all 13 state delegations in his favor after he promised him the Secretaryship of State position once elected President, which raised suspicions among many Americans at that time that it might be a form of corruption involving misuse of power in politics. This resulted in widespread public outcry against what has since been dubbed "the Corrupt Bargain" because some argued it undermined democracy by allowing powerful figures like Clay to essentially buy their way into office through backroom deals with other politicians such as Adams.
This event became known as one of America's first major scandals due to its implications for democratic principles; Many people saw it as proof that wealthy individuals could manipulate elections without facing consequences or accountability from voters or authorities alike. Despite being ultimately unsuccessful, this incident set a precedent for future attempts at influencing American elections with bribery and shady agreements made behind closed doors—something still seen today even two centuries later.