Spending for Me, But Not for Thee

In town-hall-style meetings and in interviews with local news media in recent weeks, some Republican members have been backing away from the cuts made in various spending bills passed by the House. In some cases, they are trying to circumvent the very cuts they voted for.

As House Republicans continue to press Democrats this week for even bigger cuts in a bill to avert a government shutdown, it is likely that more and more members of Congress will face constituents who, while supportive of the concept of cutting federal spending, do not care much for the specifics.

For most people -- and I’d wager that includes a fair number of politicians -- the budget is a complete abstraction. Indeed, it’s very easy to support cuts when you’re railing against $3 trillion in spending, divorced from all possible context. It’s something different entirely when those cuts are attached to specific programs and benefits that help you and your constituents. In which case, your plan for bridge repair isn’t “wasteful spending”; it’s a necessary improvement for your community. It’s not so different from the public’s intense support fot programs they use; i.e., it’s only welfare when it’s spent on other people (usually, “undeserving” ones).