'Pork' Spending, Place Names, and Political Stature in West Virginia

As a longtime member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Robert C. Byrd has earned a reputation for successfully procuring supplemental federal spending for West Virginia. Indeed, Byrd has become nearly synonymous with 'pork barrel' spending in both the national and West Virginia press. This article attempts to elucidate the connections between pork spending, honorary place names, and political stature by focusing on Senator Byrd's efforts since 1989. After describing illustrative spending projects related to transportation and higher education, this article suggests how these expenditures may affect economic growth, electoral results, and political stature. While the economic impact of pork in this case is debatable, it is likely that its political significance, especially the practice of naming projects after Senator Byrd, plays a more substantive role.

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