“The professional politician who lives 'off' politics must be distinguished from the politician who lives 'for' politics.”Max Weber · Politica, o vocație · 1919 · Politica, o vocație, paragraful despre politicianul de profesie
Financial independence buys moral independence: whoever lives for politics can afford to lose office.
Weber separates the motivations of officeholders. Those who live off politics treat it as a source of income and status, which is not necessarily corrupt, but it changes incentives: they will avoid risks that threaten their careers. Those who live for politics have another source of existence, wealth, a profession, or a conviction, and can afford to lose office. The mechanism is economic: financial independence buys moral independence. A businessperson joining a local council unpaid, out of conviction, illustrates the second type.
Weber condemns no one, but he reveals a selection effect. When most people in office live off politics, the system gradually favors the person suited to the job, not the idea suited to the community. Whoever depends on the post naturally becomes cautious. He will avoid an unpopular but right decision, because his livelihood is at stake. Think of a local official who postpones a hard decision for years, simply because his mandate is tied to it. The useful question is not whether he is honest, but what exactly makes him afraid. Which raises the next question: who can actually afford to tell the truth in politics?
Why it matters A filter for evaluating candidates: ask what they lose if they lose office, and who pays for their convictions.