Final answer:
Bribery involves offering something of value to influence an official, whereas extortion is obtaining something through force or threats. The Tammany Hall scandal involved bribery where contractors had to give kickbacks to keep their business running.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bribery and extortion are both forms of corruption, but they differ in the specific mechanisms of how one gains something of value. Bribery typically involves offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting something of value as a means to influence the action of an official or other person in charge of a public or legal duty. On the other hand, extortion involves obtaining something through force, threats, or coercion. The historical example of Tammany Hall's use of graft, bribery, and rigged elections to illicitly acquire funds is a case in point where those in power benefited from the corrupt system they entrenched. In contrast, extortion would involve more direct threats to achieve similar ends, such as threatening a business with closure unless a payment is made to the extorter. In the case of the Tammany Hall, suppliers and contractors were effectively forced into giving kickbacks to ensure the continuity of their business.