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Chapter 18: Problem 10

In Chapter 4, Section 4.3, we discussed the federal government's agricultural program, which is often called the "farm bill." Because the U.S. Department of Agriculture administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more generally known as the food stamp program, its funding is included in the farm bill. Some members of Congress believe that spending on SNAP should be reduced. In an article in the Washington Post, Marion Nestle of New York University was quoted as arguing: "[The program is] at great risk, and what has saved it from being chopped up into little pieces is that it's in the Farm Bill and therefore logrolled with agricultural supports." Briefly explain what Nestle means by "logrolling" and evaluate her argument.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Logrolling refers to a practice where politicians support each other's interests through reciprocal voting. Nestle uses it to explain how SNAP has been shielded from budget cuts due to its inclusion in the 'Farm Bill'. Her argument suggests that this practice has helped SNAP gain wider support among politicians who support agricultural policies as they are included together in the 'Farm Bill'.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Logrolling

Firstly, the term 'logrolling' is important to comprehend before understanding the context in which it is used by Nestle. In politics, 'logrolling' is a practice in which politicians support each other's interests by reciprocal voting for each other's proposed legislation.
02

Contextualizing Logrolling in the 'Farm Bill'

In the context of Nestle's quote, 'logrolling' is the practice of combining unrelated policies into a single piece of legislation (the 'Farm Bill' in this case), in order to gain broader support. This is because politicians who support the agricultural supports will also have to support SNAP, as they are packaged together in the 'Farm Bill'.
03

Evaluating Nestle's Argument

Nestle argues that logrolling has protected SNAP from budget cuts because it is included in the 'Farm Bill'. To evaluate this statement, consider if the amalgamation of agricultural and food stamp policies has indeed resulted in mutual support amongst politicians leading to the protection of SNAP. If SNAP was not a part of this roll, it might be more susceptible to budget cuts as it would not have the broad support that comes with agriculture policy.

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