What do these things have in common?

$50 Million for an indoor rainforest project in Coralville, Iowa

$6.8 million in YMCA funding

$3 million for the first tee program in St. Augustine Florida

$2.2 million for North Pole, Alaska...population 1,570

All of these items and many more, when added together, contribute to our $521 billion deficit in the federal budget and $7.1 trillion in national debt. These items are examples of pork-barrel politics, a term that originated pre-Civil war, and derived from what was then a readily understandable analogy between Congressmen gobbling up appropriations and slaves grabbling at salt pork distributed from giant barrels. Pork barrel politicking today refers to the act where Legislators tack on small bills, such as the examples listed earlier, to must pass bills in senate. When Legislators are passing billion dollar bills, the $127, 000 for research on edible seaweed in Hawaii goes unnoticed.

 While pork-barrel politics seem unfair and illegal, the United States actually relies on these public bills to support programs across the nation. If it were not for pork barrel politicking, a lot of bills that benefit the general public would never pass. A group of "pork-busters" work to stop pork-barrellers from using federal money to benefit locally based projects. Pork-busters argue that while projects like these serve a positive function in society- they should not be on the federal dime.

Pork barrel politicking has been going on for a long time and was even anticipated in James Madisons ' Federalist No. 51: he said, "if men were angels, no government would be necessary, and the private interest of every individual may be superior over the publics rights."If men were angels, no government would be necessary, and the  private interest of every individual may be superior over the publics rights. James Madison

It is clear from his writings, sleazy bills such as these were anticipated. Hawaii and Alaska have secured more money for pork-barreling politics than any other states, due to the fact they have two of the most powerful senators represented in the Legislature. Because of this, the senators look out for the general interest of their constituents and get as much money for them as possible, leading to reelection of the senators.

When the time comes for legislators to pry a few extra votes from the legislation, they will gladly trade a little pork for their greater cause. They might feel guilty about it, but according to Cohn, they shouldn't. Pork is good. Pork is virtuous, Pork is the American way.