Define logrolling. Explain why logrolling often results in legislation that benefits the economic interests of a few, while harming the interests of a larger group of people

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Logrolling refers to the situation where a member of Congress votes to approve a bill in exchange for votes from other members of Congress on other bills. Members of Congress often sponsor legislation that benefits constituents in their own districts; for example, a new highway. The costs of the highway are paid by taxpayers from all districts. Most of these taxpayers will see little or no benefit from the highway, which creates jobs and provides services mostly within a single Congressional district. Taxpayers outside of the district typically do not oppose the highway for two reasons. First, they often are rationally ignorant; the costs of the highway are spread widely so that each taxpayer incurs a very small part of the total cost. Second, taxpayers in other districts are the beneficiaries of their own projects, which receive, through logrolling, the votes of a majority of members of Congress.