Presidential Pork : White House Influence Over the Distribution of Federal Grants

" Presidential earmarks? Perhaps even more so than their counterparts in Congress, presidents have the motive and the means to politicize spending for political power. But do they? In Presidential Pork , John Hudak explains and interprets presidential efforts to control federal spending and accumulate electoral rewards from that power. The projects that members of Congress secure for their constituents certainly attract attention. Political pundits still chuckle about the ""Bridge to Nowhere."" But Hudak clearly illustrates that while Congress claims credit for earmarks and pet projects, the practice is alive and well in the White House, too. More than any representative or senator, presidents engage in pork barrel spending in a comprehensive and systematic way to advance their electoral interests. It will come as no surprise that the White House often steers the enormous federal bureaucracy to spend funds in swing states. It is a major advantage that only incumbents enjoy. Hudak reconceptualizes the way in which we view the U.S. presidency and the goals and behaviors of those who hold the nation's highest office. He illustrates that presidents and their White Houses are indeed complicit in distributing presidential porkand how they do it. The result is an illuminating and highly original take on presidential power and public policy. " In Presidential Pork, John Hudak explains and interprets presidential efforts to control federal spending and accumulate electoral rewards from that power. Certainly, presidential porkbarrel spending does not garner as much attention as projects that members of Congress secure for their constituents. Robert Byrd, for example, was renowned for his prowess at bringing federal dollars to his home state of West Virginia, and political pundits still chuckle about the "Bridge to Nowhere." But Hudak clearly illustrates that while Congress claims credit for earmarks and pet projects, the practice is alive and well in the White House, too. More than any representative or senator, presidents engage in porkbarrel spending in a comprehensive and systematic way to advance their electoral interests. It will come as no surprise that presidents target the federal largesse toward "swing states," where the electoral stakes are highest. The White House often influences the enormous federal bureaucracy to spend funds in states that are "in play," and this capacity cannot be matched by challengers. It is a major advantage that only incumbents enjoy. Hudak reconceptualizes the way in which we view the U.S. presidency and the goals and behaviors of those who hold the nation's highest office. He dissects the mechanisms and techniques presidents employ in order to make federal agencies responsive to his or her needs. Hudak reveals not only what White Houses have done in distributing presidential pork, but also how they go about it. The result is an illuminating and highly original take on presidential power and public policy. John Hudak Fellow, Governance Studies, Brookings Institute. Managing Editor, FixGov Blog. Publisher's note Introduction Spending power and the election-driven president Pork barrel politics at the presidential level Aiding and abetting the president : the role of federal agencies Presidential motives in the shadow of crisis A web of bureaucratic control The mechanisms of presidential spending power Conclusions and implications.