Earmarked: The Political Economy of Agricultural Research Appropriations |
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| Authors: | Marc T Law Joseph M Tonon Gary J Miller |
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| Institution: | Marc T. Law is an assistant professor in the Department of Economics, University of Vermont.;Joseph M. Tonon is an independent scholar residing in Alexandria, Virginia.;Gary J. Miller is a professor in the Department of Political Science, Washington University, St. Louis. |
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| Abstract: | Since 1965 a significant portion of the US Department of Agriculture's extramural research budget has been earmarked by Congress for particular research projects. We analyze the process by which a minority of Congress induces the USDA to carry out its budgetary suggestions. We present evidence demonstrating the influence that appropriators possess over the allocation of earmarked grants. Finally, we argue that this program provides an excellent illustration of path-dependence in government policy, and that an understanding of the special grants program may shed light on the decline of science at the USDA and Congress's reluctance to increase agricultural research funding. |
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