Earmark (politics)

An earmark is like when your parents give you some money to use for the things you want, but they tell you that you can only spend it on certain things. In politics, an earmark is when lawmakers give money to a special project, like building a library or fixing a road, but they also say that the money can only be used for that specific project. This helps make sure that the money is used for what it was intended for and doesn't get spent on something else. Sometimes, people don't like earmarks because they think it can be unfair - like if one state gets more earmarks than another state. But some people think earmarks are important for getting things done in their communities.