金融趣谈：Earmarks and Pork Barrel Spending
<p><span word="ackground">ackground</span>: <span word="The">The</span> <span word="term">term</span> “<span word="earmark">earmark</span>” <span word="first">first</span> <span word="appeared">appeared</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="around">around</span> 1591, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="literal">literal</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="original">original</span> <span word="meaning">meaning</span>: <span word="farmers">farmers</span> <span word="marking">marking</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="livestock">livestock</span> <span word="animals">animals</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="pigs">pigs</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="cows">cows</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="cut">cut</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="mark">mark</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ear">ear</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="identify">identify</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ownership">ownership</span>. <span word="However">However</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="associated">associated</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="term">term</span> <span word="nowadays">nowadays</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="U">U</span>.<span word="S">S</span>. <span word="has">has</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="major">major</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="metaphor">metaphor</span>. <span word="Earmarking">Earmarking</span> <span word="means">means</span> “<span word="to">to</span> <span word="designate">designate</span>” <span word="or">or</span> “<span word="to">to</span> <span word="set">set</span> <span word="aside">aside</span>” <span word="specific">specific</span> <span word="amounts">amounts</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="funding">funding</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="specific">specific</span> <span word="projects">projects</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="U">U</span>.<span word="S">S</span>. <span word="congressional">congressional</span> <span word="members">members</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="term">term</span> “<span word="pork">pork</span> <span word="barrel">barrel</span>” <span word="traces">traces</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="origin">origin</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="slavery">slavery</span> <span word="era">era</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="U">U</span>.<span word="S">S</span>. <span word="Civil">Civil</span> <span word="War">War</span> (1861—1865). <span word="In">In</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="days">days</span>, <span word="slave">slave</span> <span word="owners">owners</span> <span word="occasionally">occasionally</span> <span word="gave">gave</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="barrel">barrel</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="salt">salt</span> <span word="pork">pork</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="award">award</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="slaves">slaves</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="behaviors">behaviors</span>. <span word="After">After</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Civil">Civil</span> <span word="War">War</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="term">term</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="derogatory">derogatory</span> <span word="sense">sense</span>, <span word="referring">referring</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="appropriation">appropriation</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="funding">funding</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="certain">certain</span> <span word="projects">projects</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="intended">intended</span> <span word="primarily">primarily</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="benefit">benefit</span> <span word="particular">particular</span> <span word="constituents">constituents</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="campaign">campaign</span> <span word="contributors">contributors</span>.</p><p>___________________________________________________________</p><p><span word="Tina">Tina</span>: <span word="Did">Did</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="term">term</span> “<span word="earmark">earmark</span>” <span word="no">no</span> <span word="longer">longer</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="context">context</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="livestock">livestock</span> <span word="animals">animals</span>’ <span word="ownership">ownership</span>?</p><p><span word="Tom">Tom</span>: <span word="I">I</span> <span word="know">know</span>. “<span word="Earmark">Earmark</span>” <span word="has">has</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="metaphor">metaphor</span>.</p><p><span word="Tina">Tina</span>: <span word="Did">Did</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="congressional">congressional</span> <span word="earmarks">earmarks</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="guarantees">guarantees</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="federal">federal</span> <span word="funding">funding</span>?</p><p><span word="Tom">Tom</span>: <span word="How">How</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="work">work</span>?</p><p><span word="Tina">Tina</span>: <span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="lobbyists">lobbyists</span>, <span word="contractors">contractors</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="influential">influential</span> <span word="individuals">individuals</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="contributions">contributions</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="congressional">congressional</span> <span word="members">members</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="campaigns">campaigns</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="expect">expect</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="return">return</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="candidates">candidates</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="elected">elected</span>.</p>
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