I don't have a US-context, so excuse my naivety but to me it'd appear as if government can't pay well for _some_ jobs. If the politician themselves make too mu

I don't have a US-context, so excuse my naivety but to me it'd appear as if government can't pay well for _some_ jobs. If the politician themselves make too much, then voters might not like that. If all government jobs pay "too well" then that too would meet opposition. But, as a colorful example: suppose that being a politician was tied to the median wage of the nation, then would anyone object to paying this type of oversight position adequately? Also, I'm not necessarily convinced a decent enough paycheck is enough to dissuade from corruption. Sure, it helps but it isn't enough on its own. If a person is getting money under the table, then they are making even more money even if they are already making a pretty sum. It's just that the size of the bribe would have to increase proportionally to their salary.