November 16, 2010 8:08AM # Stopping the ‘Culture of Spending’ By [Caleb O. Brown](https://www.cato.org/people/caleb-o-brown) --- SHARE Sen. Mitch McConnell’s quick reversal on the subject of earmarks was a surprise, but that quick, largely symbolic win against profligate spending certainly won’t translate into a more permanent movement without sustained effort. Shortly after McConnell made his speech supporting a “moratorium” on earmarks, I spoke with [Matt Kibbe](http://www.freedomworks.org/matt-kibbe-biography) of [Freedomworks](http://www.freedomworks.org/) about turning the enthusiasm for smaller government into that enduring force. He said understanding public choice gives lawmakers a better shot at turning popular anger at government into reductions in its size and scope. Freedomworks recently held [orientation sessions for freshmen members of Congress](http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45000.html). A primer in public choice was on the agenda. Cato’s [*Government Failure: A Primer in Public Choice*](http://store.cato.org/index.asp?fa=ProductDetails&method=&pid=1441050) is a good place to start to understand the mechanics of government dealmaking. ##### Related Tags [Government and Politics](https://www.cato.org/government-politics), [Tax and Budget Policy](https://www.cato.org/tax-budget-policy) [![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).