A phrase increasingly used on cable news when the words "if" and "when" would be more concise without sacrificing accuracy. The reason why it's used this way is because it sounds less abrasive. A less abrasive-sounding phrase is helpful for manipulating you. Most of the time, in ordinary
conversation, you never have to use "to the extent" unless you are trying to soften the impact of
what you are about to say. If you hear the phrase "to the extent" in ordinary
conversation, pay attention because someone may be manipulating you (or, alternatively, trying not to hurt your feelings too much).
Used correctly, it provides implied information regard the limit or scope of something.
You may not have paid
the right amount to the extent your payment exceeded $10.
-->If you paid
more than $10, you paid too much.
To the extent lawmakers pass bills to make corruption easier, voters should be concerned.
-->When lawmakers pass bills to make corruption easier, voters should be concerned.
Correct usage:
You may be required to pay taxes to the extent of your debt
forgiveness.
This sentence could be reconstructed as: If you had your debt forgiven, you may be required to pay taxes. But using "to the extent" tells us the scope and limit: the more debt forgiven, the more taxes you will pay (but only up to a certain point). So by using "if" in this context, you miss out on some but not all of the meaning.
