Title: What Is the Definition of an Earmark in Politics
Headings: What Is the Definition of an Earmark?
What Is the Definition of an Earmark?
Examples From Legislative Bills
Definition of Earmark Funding
Examples of Earmark Spending
Is "Earmarking" Considered to Be Unethical?

Content: Definition of Earmark Funding
Earmarks are funds provided by the Congress for specific projects or programs in such a manner that the allocation (a) circumvents a merit-based or competitive allocation process; ( b) applies to a very limited number of individuals or entities; or (c) otherwise curtails the ability of the Executive Branch to independently manage the agency budget. Thus, an earmark circumvents the appropriations process, as outlined in the Constitution, where Congress grants a lump sum of money to a Federal agency each year and leaves the management of that money to the Executive Branch. Congress includes earmarks in both appropriation and authorization bills orOR in report language (the committee reports that accompanies reported bills and the joint explanatory statement that accompanies a conference report). Because earmarks can be tucked away in report language, the process is not easily identified by constituents. Examples of Earmark Spending
Earmark spending relates only to funds identified for specific projects. For instance, if Congress passed a budget that gave a certain sum to the National Park Service as an entity, that wouldn't be considered an earmark. But if Congress added a line indicating that some of the money had to be allocated to preserve a specific landmark, then that's an earmark. Earmark spending may be allocated for (among other things):