For decades, America did a good job of equilibrating honest graft. We called it pork-barrel spending and earmarks, and we brought it aboveboard, so that politicians were openly lining their constituents?? pockets rather than secretly lining their own. We also gave party bosses the power to twist defiant arms. If a member of Congress defied the leadership on a key vote, he might see his campaign contributions dry up or his committee assignments downgraded or the party elders throwing their support behind someone else in the next election. Members did defy the leadership, of course. But they thought twice before they did.