What Is Pork Barrel Politics?
Pork barrel politics refers to the practice of slipping funding for a local project into a broader budget, even when the project may have little or nothing to do with the larger bill. Often, this funding benefits the legislator’s home district, serving to garner or preserve political support among constituents. Pork barreling can substantially inflate the cost of legislation.
In modern politics, pork barreling and earmarking are often viewed as synonymous. However, some argue that pork barrel politics is simply a justified form of advocacy by legislators for their constituents.
Key Takeaways
- Pork barrel politics typically involve inserting funding for local projects into larger budgets as line items.
- Such projects gain approval with the greater bill without the usual congressional scrutiny or oversight.
- While pork barrel politics and earmarking are similar, earmarking can be done without targeting specific local projects.
Insights into Pork Barrel Politics
Pork barrel politics are criticized for various reasons. For some, it raises concerns about wasteful spending, as pork barrel projects can be costly for the larger public to fund while benefiting a more narrow group. Moreover, supporting such projects merely to solidify political support or provide lucrative contracts to allies may be seen as unethical.
The fiscally conservative organization Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) publishes a compendium titled “The Congressional Pig Book,” which documents pork barrel projects in the federal budget. According to CAGW, a project must meet at least two of the following seven criteria to be considered a pork barrel project:
- The project serves a limited population or special interest.
- It did not undergo a competitive bidding process.
- It was requisitioned by only one chamber of Congress.
- It was not authorized by an individual.
- It was not proposed by the president.
- It required funding beyond the president’s official budget request or the prior year’s funding.
- It was not subjected to any congressional hearings.
The Bipartisan Budget Act lifted all constraints on pork barrel projects in 2018, leading to a significant increase in such projects in 2019.
The Difference Between Pork Barrel and Earmarks
Pork barrel politics is an age-old practice. Often, the term “earmarking” can refer to a similar idea. While both involve adding line items to the federal budget to fund specific projects, pork barrel projects are generally local initiatives. In contrast, earmarks may not always be strictly local. For example, a legislator may add an earmark benefiting educators or technology companies.
Efforts to Reform Pork Barrel Politics
Prominent Examples of Pork Barrel Projects
One infamous example of pork barrel spending is a proposed $400 million bridge connecting Ketchikan, Alaska, to Gravina Island, where an airport was located. Despite being vocal proponents, elected officials from Alaska faced criticism for the project, and it was eventually scrapped.
Assessing the Costs of Pork Barrel Projects
Estimating the total amount spent on pork barrel projects is challenging since the term isn’t officially defined, nor do all instances of wasteful spending classify as pork barrel projects. According to CAGW, fiscal year 2022 saw 7,396 earmarks costing around $26.1 billion. While this is just one organization’s estimate, it is indicative of the practice’s scope.
The Bottom Line
Pork barrel politics entail securing funding for local infrastructure or projects that benefit constituents, often in exchange for political support. These projects may be included in larger bills unrelated to the local initiatives. Although there have been attempts to curtail it, pork barrel politics remains a contentious issue, particularly among fiscally conservative critics.
Related Terms: earmark, budget control, public funding, legislative practice.
References
- Citizens Against Government Waste. “Pig Book”.
- Citizens Against Government Waste. “2020 Summary”.
- U.S. Congress. “H.R.2 - Line Item Veto Act”.
- U.S. Congress. “The Constitution and The Line Item Veto”.
- Alaska.org. “Bridge to Nowhere”.
- Citizens Against Government Waste. “2023 Summary”.
