Pork Barrel Essay ⋆ Political Science Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

Pork barrel is a commonly used metaphor in the United States to refer to the spending of public money for a specific group’s benefit in return for political support. More specifically, pork barrel is a derogatory term used to describe spending attached to federal appropriations’ bills that are designated for a very specific purpose or program that benefits a small, select group while distributing the costs across all taxpayers. It is thought that the legislators able to attach “pork” to appropriations bills will be aided in securing reelection because they are “bringing home the bacon” to their individual district. The securing of pork by legislators is often accomplished by logrolling— that is, the exchange of favors among policy makers.

The metaphor is believed to have originated in the southern United States, where the remnants of pigs were put into a barrel. These pork barrels were given to slaves, and the rush of slaves to eat from the pork barrel is likened to the rush of legislators attempting to secure money for their local district. The Bonus Bill of 1817 is one of the earliest examples of pork barrel politics. The Bonus Bill was introduced by John C. Calhoun and was directed at constructing highways to connect the east and south with the western frontier.

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