Final answer:
Pork-barrel spending refers to legislative appropriations for local projects at the national expense, often considered wasteful and politically motivated to garner local support. Citizens against Government Waste reports on these expenditures in their Pig Book, revealing substantial increases in pork-barrel spending over the years. This is compounded by practices like logrolling, where legislators support each other's pork-barrel bills.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pork-barrel spending is understood to be a practice in politics where spending is earmarked for specific projects in lawmakers' states or districts. Which is disliked by many because these types of spending items are considered to be a misuse of public funds, as they benefit a small locale at the expense of the taxpayer nationwide. This form of spending creates a dilemma challenging democracy due to its mechanism of concentrated benefits for local voters, while dispersing the costs across the entire population. The Citizens against Government Waste organization highlights such spending in their annual Pig Book, noting a significant increase in both the number and cost of these earmarks over the years.
Pork-barrel projects typically receive criticism as they are often seen as a way for legislators to win favor with local constituents, potentially at the expense of the broader fiscal responsibility. Some argue that these projects lead to inefficient allocation of resources. Logrolling is related in that legislators may vote for each other's pork-barrel legislation, further perpetuating this spending cycle.