POLICY AND PORK - THE USE OF PORK BARREL PROJECTS TO BUILD POLICY COALITIONS IN THE HOUSE-OF-REPRESENTATIVES

The literature on distributive politics in legislatures concentrates o n the formation of logrolling coalitions to pass the district projects of the coalitions' members at the expense of the general public. This article argues that district projects are also used for another purpo se: to help committee leaders to construct supporting coalitions for l egislative packages that satisfy the leaders' own goals, including gen eral benefit legislation. This study explicates such a strategy and te sts its efficacy by estimating the impact on House members' roll call votes of the inclusion of highway ''demonstration'' projects in the 19 87 highway and urban mass transit reauthorization by the leadership of the House Public Works and Transportation Committee. The analysis sho ws that distributive benefits conferred by the leaders did indeed infl uence members' support for the leaders' legislative goals on that bill .