What you are describing is simply extortion. Or, put otherwise, it’s the Chicago way of governance.
Hat tip to Al Capone.
Rahm is not mayor of Chicago for nothing; and Barack did not emerge from the Chicago machine untrained in the way he should go.
A little bit, but mostly it’s playing to the fears of people who have been raised from the cradle and indoctrinated (”educated”) to believe they are entitled victims who must be eternally vigilant against their preceived enemies, and eternally dependent upon the state for their very existence. I’m not sure extortion is necessary when you’re dealing with gullible, dependent cowards.