According to the majority of the current Supreme Court, if an action isn't punishable by a bribery statute, it’s not corruption. Corruption is a funny word, and this is a reasonable mistake to make at a dinner party. But it’s a disastrous mistake to make for American democracy, when the stakes are so high.

Zephyr Teachout, associate professor of law at Fordham University, is a former anti-corruption candidate for New York governor who won 34 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary against Andrew Cuomo. She is also the author of “Corruption in America: From Benjamin Franklin’s Snuff Box to Citizens United.”

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx