Barbara McQuade on Power, Pressure and the Mob Boss Model of Government
JUDJ-Prepared Summary from September 2, 2026 | The Fix: Saving America From the Corruption of a Mob-Style Government. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the speaker.
In a recent America at a Crossroads discussion, Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan and current professor at the University of Michigan Law School, drew on her two decades as a federal prosecutor to examine the use of power, pressure and loyalty in American government. Discussing themes from her new book, The Fix: Saving America from the Corruption of a Mob-Style Government, McQuade argued that some of the tactics she sees in President Donald Trump’s second administration resemble patterns she encountered prosecuting organized crime and public corruption.
When “The Fix Is In”
McQuade explained that the title of her book has a deliberate double meaning. “The fix” can suggest a system in which the outcome has already been manipulated, but it also points toward solutions for repairing institutions and strengthening the rule of law.
Her analysis begins with a lesson from organized crime: power can be expanded by finding pressure points and using leverage to secure compliance. In an extortion scheme, McQuade explained, a victim may believe that giving in once will make the threat disappear. Instead, compliance can invite additional demands.
McQuade sees a parallel in the administration’s relationships with powerful institutions, including law firms, universities and the media. In her view, the pressure is not always primarily about achieving an immediate policy objective. It can also be about obtaining compliance and discouraging future resistance.
The Godfather and the Politics of Obligation
To illustrate the dynamic, McQuade turned to The Godfather. In the film’s famous opening scene, Don Corleone agrees to grant a favor—but establishes that a favor may someday be expected in return.
McQuade argued that the scene provides a useful framework for understanding relationships in which loyalty and personal obligation become intertwined with power. The result, she said, is that individuals and institutions may become reluctant to challenge the person who controls access, benefits or potential punishment.
What Happens When Institutions Push Back
McQuade pointed to the administration’s confrontations with major law firms as an important example. Some firms negotiated agreements after facing executive actions, while others challenged the administration in federal court. The firms that fought the orders prevailed at the district-court level.
For McQuade, that contrast illustrates a central lesson from her prosecutorial career: yielding to pressure does not necessarily make the pressure disappear.
Her proposed alternative is collective resistance by institutions capable of checking government power. Courts, lawyers, universities, elected officials and citizens all have roles to play. The broader message of The Fix is that institutions remain strongest when they are willing to exercise the independence and authority they already possess.
About America at a Crossroads
Since April 2020, America at a Crossroads has produced weekly virtual programs on topics related to the preservation of our democracy, voting rights, freedom of the press, and a wide array of civil rights, including abortion rights, free speech, and free press. America at a Crossroads is a project of Jews United for Democracy & Justice.