“Earmark” is another term for pork-barrel project. The term refers to funds in the federal budget allocated for projects in a legislator’s home district, presumably for the primary purpose of advantaging the legislator’s constituency, and thus the legislator’s own reelection chances. Senator John McCain campaigned against the practice of earmarking during his run for the White House in the Campaign of 2008; however, his running mate Sarah Palin’s efforts to secure federal funds for the notorious “Bridge to Nowhere” damaged his credibility on this front.
Some members of Congress, such as Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia and Senator Alphonse D’Amato (nicknamed “Senator Pothole”) of New York, were infamous for their ability to direct federal monies to their districts, and they trumpeted such projects in their reelection bids.
Public opinion data suggests that voters are not particularly troubled by earmarks, as long as those earmarks go to benefit their own districts. According to a Pew Research/National Journal poll conducted during the 2010 midterms, 53 percent of citizens overall (and 47% of Republicans and 66% of Democrats) said that they would be more likely to vote for legislators who have a record of directing federal funds to their home districts. Only 12 percent of respondents (17% of Republicans and 6% of Democrats) said that they were less likely to vote for a candidate who had used earmarks to benefit their district. The remaining citizens were indifferent.
“Earmarks Could Help Candidates in Midterms; Palin and Tea Party Connections Could Hurt.” Pew Center for People and the Press, August 2, 2010. http://people-press.org/report/642/. Accessed September 29, 2015.
Frisch, Scott A. The Politics of Pork: A Study of Congressional Appropriations Earmarks (Financial Sector of the American Economy). Lanham, MD: Routledge Press, 1998.
Frisch, Scott A., and Sean Q. Kelly. Cheese Factories on the Moon: Why Earmarks Are Good for American Democracy. St. Paul, MN: Paradigm Publishers, 2011.