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'''Pork-barrel legislation''' is [[legislation]] that brings [[federal]] money to a particular [[Congress]]man's [[Congressional district|district]] for the primary purpose of enriching the members of that district. Pork projects can take the form of spending not requested by any federal agency, or locating spending requested by a federal agency within the district. Pork barrel legislation, also known as just "pork" often in the form of an[[earmark]]. Conservatives consider pork to be wasteful of [[taxpayer]]'s dollars.

'''Pork-barrel legislation''' is [[legislation]] that brings [[federal]] money to a particular [[Congress]]man's [[Congressional district|district]] for the primary purpose of enriching the members of that district. Pork projects can take the form of spending not requested by any federal agency, or locating spending requested by a federal agency within the district. Pork barrel legislation, also known as just "pork" often in the form of an[[earmark]]. Conservatives consider pork to be wasteful of [[taxpayer]]'s dollars.

Pork continues, in spite of being wasteful, due to the principles of public choice economics. Each pork project has concentrated benefits, so the supporters of that pork project eagerly pursue it; however a pork project has distributed costs, so detractors have reduced incentive to follow through. A developer might stand to make tens of millions of dollars off of a pork project, the project will waste that money, but the individual tax payer liability is just a few pennies to a few dollars each. However with thousands of pork projects every year that tiny liability multiplies and becomes a tremendous tax burden.

Pork continues, in spite of being wasteful, due to the principles of public choice economics. Each pork project has concentrated benefits, so the supporters of that pork project eagerly pursue it; however a pork project has distributed costs, so detractors have reduced incentive to follow through. A developer might stand to make tens of millions of dollars off of a pork project, the project will waste that money, but the individual tax payer liability is just a few pennies to a few dollars each. However, with thousands of pork projects every year that tiny liability multiplies and becomes a tremendous tax burden.

[[Keynesian economics]] look at pork as a positive thing, because they think about the economic effect of the extra spending. They ignore the spending that will not happen because individuals will no longer have the money due to high taxes. The spending that no longer happens due to pork expropriations would have been to purchase things that people want, rather than to purchase things that people do not.

[[Keynesian economics]] look at pork as a positive thing, because they think about the economic effect of the extra spending. They ignore the spending that will not happen because individuals will no longer have the money due to high taxes. The spending that no longer happens due to pork expropriations would have been to purchase things that people want, rather than to purchase things that people do not.