State capture refers to a process where powerful individuals, interest groups, or foreign entities manipulate a country's policy-making and institutional processes to serve their own narrow agendas rather than the public interest. Unlike traditional bribery, which might involve a single transaction, state capture is described as a systemic effort to control the levers of government.

Examples of this phenomenon are diverse and range from financial influence to criminal coercion. Wealthy donors, such as billionaires contributing large sums to political campaigns, can gain disproportionate access to leaders, effectively purchasing influence over legislation. On the more extreme end of the spectrum, criminal networks—such as drug or human traffickers—may bribe officials to ensure the safe passage of illicit goods or to neutralize the law enforcement agencies tasked with stopping them. Furthermore, foreign powers may leverage compromising information, such as evidence of personal misconduct by high-ranking officials, to force a government to adopt policies that favor the foreign state's interests.

While the mechanisms vary, the core outcome remains consistent: the erosion of democratic accountability. When institutions are 'captured,' they cease to function as independent bodies serving the citizenry and instead become tools for private or illicit gain. This creates a cycle where the rule of law is weakened, and public institutions lose their legitimacy in the eyes of the people they are meant to protect.