The Politics and Economics of Pork Barrel Spending: The Case of Federal Financing of Water Resources Development

Alison Del Rossi ()

Public Choice, 1995, vol. 85, issue 3-4, 285-305

Abstract: This paper empirically investigates the economic and political factors that have influenced annual Corps of Engineers water resource spending. Despite the common view that 'pork barrel' spending is economically unjustified and purely politically motivated, economic factors have been important in determining water resource spending. From 1865 to 1920, economic development and industrialization increase spending and, from 1921 to 1988, spending appears to be countercyclical. There is also evidence that majority parties control spending levels in the post-Civil War period, while in recent times, legislators act under a norm of 'constrained universalism' and are influenced by the costs to their constituents of increased spending. Copyright 1995 by Kluwer Academic Publishers

Date: 1995
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:kap:pubcho:v:85:y:1995:i:3-4:p:285-305

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