Economics
The Logic of Logrolling in Legislative Vote Trading
Quick fact
Logrolling is so effective that it can produce a 'Pareto improvement'—outcomes that make at least one legislator better off without harming anyone else—yet it can also create a 'tyranny of the majority' where a coalition of minorities ram through legislation that the majority of voters oppose.
Why this is interesting
We often condemn politicians for 'I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine' deals, but could that very behavior be a hidden engine of democracy? What if the deal-making you love to hate is actually what makes legislative progress possible?