Pork-barrel politics affect the economy in several ways. Pork-barrel spending occurs when the government earmarks funds to be spent in a specific region of the country, u🐷sually as a favor to an elected representative from that region.

Such government spending often confers an economic benefit to the region involved, with the money typically going toward infrastructure and other projects that create jobs and improve quality of life. However, the effect on the rest of the country is negative, with 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:taxpayers shouldering the cost of these pork-barrel projec🌠ts wi♔thout receiving the benefits.

What Is Pork-Barrel Spending?

When it was first introduced in 1863, 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:the phrase "pork barrel" was initially a reference to any money a government spent on its citizens.

But within a decade, the idea of pork-barrel politics had come to mean spending by a politician that benefited certain constituents in e𝓰xchange for thei꧂r support, either financially or via the ballot box.

Pork-barrel spending is a reference with negative connotations, especially when it's mentioned in connection with Congress, as it can imply bribery or special favors in return for other favors.

Characteristics of Pork-Barrel Spending

The phrase "pork-barrel spending" is usually associated with any project that uses federal funds to benefit a narrow group of donors or special interests. Pork may be attached as appropriations to seemingly unrelated legislation, in an attempt to secure that Congressperson's vote.

Citizens Against Government Waste publishes an annual "Pig Book" of projects it considers pork-barrel spending. A project is categorized as "pork" if any of the following is met:

• Requested by only one chamber of Congress
• Not specifically authorized
• Not competitively awarded
• Not requested by the President
• Greatly exceeds the President’s budget request or the previous year’s funding
• Not the subject of congressional hearings
• Serves only a local or special interest

Example of Pork-Barrel Politics

As an example of pork-barrel politics, consider a politician from a mid-sized city who wants government funds for a high-speed rail project connecting their city with another mid-sized city 100 miles away. They sell the government on the project and receive $700 million in federal funds. That money provides an economic boon to both mi🔥d-sized cities involved.

Employmen🙈t increases as workers are hired to complete the project. Once the project is complete, travel between the two cities increases, which creates opportunities for﷽ businesses in other sectors.

That said, the benefit of such a project is very localized. It does not extend far beyond the two cities. In effect, the elected representative has received money from the entꩲire country without providing the entire country with any benefits in return.

This concept is known in economics as rent-seeking. The project's overall effect on most of the country is negative. The taxpayers pay taxes to the gov𓆉ernment to finance the project but do🧜 not receive anything in return for their money.

Pork-Barrel Spending vs. Earmarks

The practice of "earmarking" became a variation of pork-barrel spending, something Congress put a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:moratorium on in 2010. Earmarking involves placing legislative add-ons, called earmarks, on 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:appropriations bills as a way to redirect money to special projects in a particular lawmaker's state.

Congress temporarily earmarks in 2011, forbidding legislators from slipping their pet projects into national appropriations bills.

Earmarking is similar to pork spending, in that both direct federal funds towards local interests. However, earmarking is viewed more positively, since earmarked projects a▨re more likely to benefit🍌 the wider population.

For example, improving bridges and highways serves localized interests, but the improved infrastructure a🍸lso serves the wider community.

In some cases, the costs of earmarked projects can still exceed their economic benefits. One infamous example was the Bridge to Nowhere—a $220 million infrastructure project to connect mainland Alaska to an island of only 50 people. The project was defeated in 2005 and became an issue in the 2008 election.

Another pervasive example is 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:military spending, which is often used as a form of local 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:economic stimulus as well as defense.

Community Project Funding

In 2021, House Democrats announced plans to revive earmarks, after rebranding them as "community project funding." Under the new rules, earmarks would be limited to 1% of discretionary funding and lawmakers would be able to submit no more than 10 funding requests.

The change would encourage bipartisan support for appropriations bills since lawmakers on both sides would be able to claim credit for funding local projects.

The Bottom Line

Pork-barrel spending, or earmarking, is the controversial prac♏tice of directing government funding in a way that serves local businesses or other special interests.

While the term has strong negative connotat♛ions, there is no clear distinction between pork-barrel spending and funding legitimate local projects. Although House Democratꦐs temporarily prohibited the practice in 2011, they revived the practice 10 years later.