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

Introduction

1 Introduction On the other hand, if the money is being spent as it needs to be spent—to rebuild our roads and our bridges and our schools, and making sure that we are putting in place the kinds of infrastructure foundations that are necessary for economic growth over the long term—then I think all of us will benefit and our voters and our constituents, the people we work for, are going to be extraordinarily grateful. —Barack Obama, March 12, 20091 Many administrations have sought to maximize their control of the machinery of government for political gain, dispatching Cabinet secretaries bearing government largess to battleground states in the days before elections. But [Karl] Rove . . . pursued the goal far more systematically than his predecessors . . . enlisting political appointees at every level of government in a permanent campaign. —Washington Post, August 19, 20072 1 In late 2008 and early 2009, the United States rapidly entered a profound economic recession. In concert with Congress, the Bush and Obama administrations crafted legislation intended to stem economic losses and restart the economy on a path toward growth, employment, and stability. That legislation, which became the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was signed into law on February 19, 2009.3 The White House stated that the act was “a nationwide effort to create jobs, jumpstart growth and transform our economy to compete in the 21st century”4 and that it would 1. Obama (2009c). 2. Solomon, MacGillis, and Cohen (2007). 3. P.L. 111-5. 4. Obama (2009a). 01-2520-6 ch1.indd 1 1/8/14 4:00 PM 2 introduction “provide immediate tax relief to families and businesses, while investing in priorities like health care, education, energy, and infrastructure.”5 The Recovery Act (or ARRA) ultimately provided $282 billion in tax relief, $274 billion in discretionary funding through grants and contracts, and $284 billion in entitlement program funding.6 Although the legislation attempted to serve a universal goal—to rehabilitate the flailing economy—the means by which the Obama administration sought to achieve that goal was controversial. During negotiations on the bill and even after its passage, criticism percolated within the two parties and branches of government as well as in the media. Concerns over the structure and content of the bill included issues such as the role of politics in the economic recovery and the exercise and expansion of executive power in policymaking. As the quote from President Obama at the start of this chapter illustrates, one goal of the Recovery Act was to improve economic growth. However, the president went on to explain that he sought benefits of his own from the legislation—benefits from the people who elected him. In describing the Recovery Act, he notes in explicitly electoral terms, “our voters, our constituents , the people we work for, are going to be extraordinarily grateful.” The president is clear that he sees the Recovery Act as a means of connecting with “our voters”—a shared concern and experience of legislators and presidents alike. He wants “good public policy” that will stabilize the economy, create jobs, and invest in the future. However, any discussion of satisfying “voters” and “constituents” alludes to a shift away from policy interests and toward the electoral dynamics of legislation. The Recovery Act provided a way to make voters happy, and happy voters reelect the party in power. President Obama was not alone in recognizing that the Recovery Act was an opportunity for the White House to claim credit. Vice President Joe Biden remarked of the law, “We’ve sent money out to renovate a school in a particular city, in a particular state—it will be up there [on the recovery.gov website]. All the press will see it on the website. The neighbors and the community will see it.”7 The Recovery Act was a multipronged tool. It was enacted to save the economy from a deepening recession, and it served to make sure that the president’s constituents gave him credit for delivering money to their areas. This book unites two fundamental tenets in the study of American government : that presidents are powerful players in domestic policy affairs and that 5. Obama (2009b). 6. “The Recovery Act” (www.recovery.gov/About/Pages/The_Act.aspx). 7. Biden (2009). 01-2520-6 ch1.indd 2 1/8/14 4:00 PM introduction 3 elected officials are motivated by elections. Neither tenet is especially...