Feast or Famine at the Federal Luau? Understanding Net Federal Spending under Bush
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Peter L Francia
During the 2000 election, 30 "red" states cast their Electoral College votes for Republican George W. Bush. Many of these red states are also the largest net recipients of federal benefits. Is this a product of the fact that many red states are simply poorer than blue states, or the result of political machinations? We find that even after controlling for Republican congressional power and key socio-economic and demographic factors, red states received more federal benefits per tax dollar in 2004. In a twist of irony, we conclude that "big government" entitlement and discretionary programs have actually become important club goods for Republicans to reward support in core states. As a result, red states have increased the amount of goods they received per tax dollar under Bush.
©2011 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Article
- Black Politics, the GOP Southern Strategy, and the Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act
- Forecasting the 2006 National Elections to the U.S. House of Representatives
- Using the Generic Vote to Forecast the 2006 House and Senate Elections
- The 2.4% Solution: What Makes a Mandate?
- The Validity of the 2004 "Moral Values" Question
- Feast or Famine at the Federal Luau? Understanding Net Federal Spending under Bush
- Signing Statements: What to Do?
- The Legal Significance of Presidential Signing Statements
- Review
- Review of The End of Southern Exceptionalism: Class, Race, and Partisan Change in the Postwar South
- Race for the Key to Explaining Partisan Realignment in the American South: Thoughts on Byron E. Shafer and Richard Johnston, The End of Southern Exceptionalism
Articles in the same Issue
- Article
- Black Politics, the GOP Southern Strategy, and the Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act
- Forecasting the 2006 National Elections to the U.S. House of Representatives
- Using the Generic Vote to Forecast the 2006 House and Senate Elections
- The 2.4% Solution: What Makes a Mandate?
- The Validity of the 2004 "Moral Values" Question
- Feast or Famine at the Federal Luau? Understanding Net Federal Spending under Bush
- Signing Statements: What to Do?
- The Legal Significance of Presidential Signing Statements
- Review
- Review of The End of Southern Exceptionalism: Class, Race, and Partisan Change in the Postwar South
- Race for the Key to Explaining Partisan Realignment in the American South: Thoughts on Byron E. Shafer and Richard Johnston, The End of Southern Exceptionalism
