fence-mending

Social assistance given to a community in order to retain popularity with the electorate.

In summary, the recognition of the mandate of a group by government is useful not only to the group's leaders but to government as well. The existence and operations of organized groups introduce an element of stability into the political process; […] they enable government to carry on a continuous process of “fence mending” by continually drawing attention to the fences which require mending; […]

Patronage and political fence mending had come to bore him.

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see fence, mend.