There's still plenty of this. If Congress passes Medicare drug coverage, for instance, millions of retirees will gain. They mainly benefit politicians. Even many older programs now follow this new political logic. Consider the minimum wage.
People think it's an easy way to reduce poverty.
On balance, the benefit for the poor is slight or nonexistent. The mass of Americans, however, think the poor are helped. It is supposed to rescue farmers from disastrously low grain prices. In the short run, it will provide financial relief. But in the long run, it won't save many family farms.