rent-seeking
Manipulating for gain
Rent-seeking is the pursuit of wealth through manipulation of economic or political environments rather than through productive activity.
A company lobbying for tariffs that protect it from competition is rent-seeking—extracting value without creating any.
The term comes from economics, where "rent" means income beyond what's needed to keep a resource in its current use.
Rent-seeking behavior diverts resources from innovation to influence-peddling.
Corrupt payment for influence
- kickbacksIllegal return payments
- graftIllicit political gain
- cronyismFavoring friends in appointments
- nepotismPreferring kin in hiring
embezzlement · quid-pro-quo · under-the-table · sleaze · patronage · payoffs · skimming · self-dealing
Twisting from original state
- inefficiencySuboptimal use of resources
- extractionAct of removing
- misallocationImproper distribution of resources
- unproductiveFailing to achieve results
marginalism · privilege · arbitrage · asymmetry · oligopoly · transfer · zero-sum · dissipation
Supporter's financial backing
- brokerTransaction intermediary for hire
- reciprocityMutual exchange of actions
- dependencyState of needing support
- porkPig as food
Exploiting scarcity for gain
- usuryExtortionate money lending
- parasiticExploiting a host organism
- siphoningDrawing liquid through tube
- hoardingExcessive accumulation of goods
opportunism · scalping · extortionate · gatekeeping · chokepoint · bottleneck
Granting official permission
- permitsGrants formal authorization
- zoningSectioning areas by use
- certificationAttestation of qualification
- barriersThings blocking access
protectionism · tariffs · quotas · bureaucratic · credentialism
Power to affect others
- advocacyPleading for a cause
- PACCampaign contribution pooler
- accessRight to enter
- earmarksDesignates for specific use
pork-barrel · donations · carve-outs · loopholes · subsidies
Price-fixing coalition
- price-fixingCoordinated artificial cost-setting
- franchiseLicensed business operation
- anticompetitiveHarming market fairness
- collusionFraudulent secret cooperation
bribery
Corrupt payment for influence
nepotism · embezzlement · quid-pro-quo · under-the-table · sleaze · patronage · payoffs · skimming · self-dealing · palm-greasing
distortion
Twisting from original state
- inefficiencySuboptimal use of resources
- extractionAct of removing
- misallocationImproper distribution of resources
unproductive · marginalism · privilege · arbitrage · asymmetry · oligopoly · transfer · zero-sum · dissipation
patronage
Supporter's financial backing
- brokerTransaction intermediary for hire
- reciprocityMutual exchange of actions
- dependencyState of needing support
profiteering
Exploiting scarcity for gain
- usuryExtortionate money lending
- parasiticExploiting a host organism
- siphoningDrawing liquid through tube
hoarding · opportunism · scalping · extortionate · gatekeeping · chokepoint · bottleneck
licensing
Granting official permission
- permitsGrants formal authorization
- zoningSectioning areas by use
- certificationAttestation of qualification
barriers · protectionism · tariffs · quotas · bureaucratic · credentialism
influence
Power to affect others
earmarks · pork-barrel · donations · carve-outs · loopholes · subsidies
cartel
Price-fixing coalition
- price-fixingCoordinated artificial cost-setting
- franchiseLicensed business operation
- anticompetitiveHarming market fairness
- corruptioncorruption, graft, kickbacks, bribery, bribes
- law and economicsantitrust, economic analysis, market regulation, legal frameworks, antitrust law
- public choicelogrolling, government failure, collective action, Buchanan, vote trading
- financebank, CFO, banks, controller, finance
- power playerspower brokers, insiders, dealmakers, influencers, kingmakers
- land economicsland value, land bank, land trust, parcel, lot
rent-seekingvalue creation
Making things more useful
wealth creation · entrepreneurship · innovation · research and development · invention
rent-seekingmarket competition
Firms contending for sales
free enterprise · free competition · fair competition · meritocracy · open markets
rent-seekingpublic service
Work for community benefit
civic virtue · public interest · philanthropy · altruism · mutualism
rent, seeking, rental, rented, seeker, leasing, rentals, seekers, rentier