Pardons as political currency

The presidential pardon, historically a tool to end rebellions and exercise mercy, is now often used as a political instrument: recent presidents have granted pardons to reward supporters, shield allies, or generate political capital rather than to correct clear miscarriages of justice. The legal text provides broad discretion with few internal checks, so norms and political accountability determine whether the power serves the public interest or corrodes it. — If pardons function primarily as patronage, they weaken rule‑of‑law constraints on the executive and amplify corruption and factionalism at the top of government.