Pork Barrel Politics: Definition, Purposes, Reform Efforts

Will Kenton is an expert on the economy and investing laws and regulations. He previously held senior editorial roles at Investopedia and Kapitall Wire and holds a MA in Economics from The New School for Social Research and Doctor of Philosophy in English literature from NYU.

Michael Boyle is an experienced financial professional with more than 10 years working with financial planning, derivatives, equities, fixed income, project management, and analytics.

What Is Pork Barrel Politics?

Pork barrel politics refers the legislative practice of slipping funding for a local project into a broader budget, even when said project may have little or nothing to do with the larger bill. Often, this funding may primarily benefit the legislator's home district, serving to garner or preserve political support among constituents. Pork barreling can have the effect of substantially inflating the cost of legislation.

In modern politics, pork barreling and earmarking may be seen as virtually synonymous. On the other hand, one could argue that pork barrel politics is simply a justified form of advocacy by legislators for their constituents.

Key Takeaways

• Generally speaking, pork barrel politics refers to instances where funding for a local project is inserted into a larger budget as a line item.
• Such projects will gain approval with the greater bill without the usual congressional scrutiny or oversight.
• Occasionally, pork barrel politics can appear similar to the general practice of earmarking. However, earmarking can be done without targeting funds to specific local projects.

Understanding Pork Barrel Politics

Pork barrel politics have been criticized for a number of reasons. For some, it raises concerns about wasteful spending. Pork barrel projects can be costly for the larger public to fund, while only benefitting a more narrow group. It can also be seen as unethical for elected officials to support projects simply to solidify political support for themselves, or to provide lucrative contracts to their allies.

Each year, the fiscally conservative nonprofit organization Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) publishes a compendium titled "The Congressional Pig Book," which documents pork barrel projects in the federal budget.

CAGW defines a pork barrel project as a line item in an appropriations bill that designates tax dollars for a specific purpose while circumventing established budgetary procedures. Entries in the book need to satisfy at least two of following seven criteria:

• 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 that went well beyond the president's official budget request or the prior year's funding.
• It was not subjected to any congressional hearings.

In addition to all of the above, a project or program must have appeared in prior years as an earmark in order to qualify as a pork barrel project.

The Bipartisan Budget Act removed all constraints on pork barrel projects in 2018. The number of such projects and their overall price tag soared in 2019.

Pork Barrel vs. Earmarks

Pork barrel politics is an age-old practice. Often, the less pejorative term "earmarking" can refer to a similar idea. In both cases, sums of money are inserted as line items in the federal budget, aimed at funding a specific project.

However, the two terms are not identical. Projects that are earmarked may not be strictly local initiatives, as pork barrel projects typically are. For example, a legislator who has—or wants—a strong base of support among educators or technology companies might add an earmark to the budget that funds a pet project of one of those constituencies.

Pork Barrel Reform

In modern U.S. history, there have been two major attempts to limit pork barrel politics.

• The 2011 Bipartisan Control Act placed a moratorium on earmarks, which lasted in some form until 2018 when the Bipartisan Budget Act removed all restraints. CAGW points out that plenty of earmarks got through during the moratorium years, but their numbers jumped more than 13% after it was lifted.
• The line-item veto, every president's favorite pork-busting tool, was granted by Congress in 1995. President Bill Clinton liberally used his power to strike individual budget items, but as it turned out he would be its sole practitioner. In 1998, the line-item veto was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. However, the line-item veto has been adopted in 44 states, allowing governors to remove earmarks from state spending bills.

What Does the Pork Barrel Represent?

Prior the advent of refrigeration, pork barrels were literal barrels made of wood, which preserved salted pork. Today, the term has become an emblem of wasteful government spending.

What Is an Example of Pork Barrel?

One of the most infamous and commonly cited examples of pork barrel spending is a proposed $400 million bridge, which would have connected the town of Ketchika, Alaska, with Gravina Island, where there was located an airport. Elected officials from Alaska were vocal proponents of the proposal, but it was held up as an egregious example of a pork barrel project, and eventually scrapped.

How Much Has Been Spent on Pork Barrel Projects

It's challenging to estimate the amount that has been spent on pork barrel projects because the term isn't officially defined, nor do all forms of wasteful spending get classified as pork barrel spending. According to CAGW, the fiscal year 2022 saw 7,396 earmarks costing around $26.1 billion. This is just one organization's estimate, and not necessarily definitive.

The Bottom Line

Pork barrel politics refers to a practice in which elected officials secure funding for local infrastructure or projects that benefit their constituents, commonly in exchange for political support. These projects may be slipped into bigger bills that have little do with the local initiatives. Pork barrel projects have been criticized as wasteful. There have been attempts to reign it in, though fiscally conservative critics argue that it remains an issue.

1. Citizens Against Government Waste. "Pig Book." Accessed Nov. 15, 2020.
2. Citizens Against Government Waste. "2020 Summary." Accessed Nov. 15, 2020.
3. U.S. Congress. "H.R.2 - Line Item Veto Act." Accessed Nov. 15, 2020.
4. U.S. Congress. "The Constitution and The Line Item Veto." Accessed Nov. 15, 2020.
5. Alaska.org. "Bridge to Nowhere."
6. Citizens Against Government Waste. "2023 Summary." Accessed Jan. 3, 2024.

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