Interestingly FDR used Maine as a testing ground to see how oodles of Federal money would change voting patterns. He targeted those counties that were 60%+ Republican. Two years of Federal money spread around the country in visible make work projects changed the voting to 60%+ Democrat. It has not changed much since then.

Bruce Bueno de Mesquita wrote a book about about how politicians, in every kind of system. got elected (or selected) and stayed incumbent by analyzing the segments of the population that were necessary to achieve those objectives.

In every case the size of population necessary to stay in power was much less than the size needed to be selected in the first place. So long as this key constituency had its needs met the leader could be assured of reelection or reselection.

The spending bill is geared to satisfy the constituency that will keep the Democrats in power. FDR’s successful experiment spreading Federal largess in Maine suggests it will work again.