I just thought about an imaginary society that decided that it was a bad idea for the wealthy to become powerful, and for the powerful to become wealthy. I think this idea came forth when I heard how former Governor Jerry Brown (now mayor of Oakland) was decried as a hippy for not wanting to live in a mansion and not wanting to drive an expensive car.

So basically all their public officials would be stripped of their property and other assets, forcing them to live entirely off of the state. And the richer you were, the less you were allowed to have influence on politics. Like maybe even how much your vote weighed was inverse to how much income you made. This wouldn’t be a communist/socialist society per se, it could still be rabidly capitalist, it’s just that there would be a strict separation between money and power. And I don’t think this would destroy the incentive to be rich. After all, with all that money, you could still buy all the stuff you wanted, you could live comfortably in a big house with a fancy car, with servants and assistants and valets. You just wouldn’t be able to parlay all that wealth into political power.

And if politicians were forced into a vow of poverty, essentially giving away everything they own to either their supporters or to the state itself, it would be less meaningful to bribe them. You would have to either bribe all of his/her supporters (which would be rather difficult to keep secret), or at most, you could be a puppeteer, manipulating your penniless politico with promises of favors after their term expired. A rather tenuous proposition, if you ask me.

Do I think such a society could exist? I am doubtful. But it would be an interesting basis for a story.