logrolling

Definition

The practice of trading votes on different bills, where legislators support each other's pet projects in a you-scratch-my-back arrangement. It's political horse-trading without the horses or any pretense of principle.

Example Usage

Through shameless logrolling, the dam project and the arts funding both passed, uniting strange bedfellows in mutual self-interest.

Origin

From the 19th-century American practice where neighbors helped each other roll logs for clearing land or building cabins

Fun Fact

Political scientists debate whether logrolling is corrupt deal-making or democratic compromise in action—the answer usually depends on whether your project got funded.

Source: Political science textbooks and legislative behavior research

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