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Presidential Budgetary Duties
Author(s) -
Fisher Louis
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
presidential studies quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.337
H-Index - 5
eISSN - 1741-5705
pISSN - 0360-4918
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-5705.2012.04016.x
Subject(s) - presidential system , political science , legislature , executive branch , public administration , veto , covert , government (linguistics) , executive power , element (criminal law) , debt , power (physics) , control (management) , battle , separation of powers , law , business , economics , politics , finance , management , linguistics , philosophy , physics , archaeology , quantum mechanics , history
As an essential element of republican government, C ongress possesses the power of the purse. It uses that authority to control presidents and executive agencies. From the start, however, there has always been tension between the two elected branches, with presidents insisting on exercising control over departments and agencies. A major collision occurred during the 1970s, when P resident N ixon claimed constitutional authority to refuse to spend appropriated funds (the impoundment dispute). He lost that battle in C ongress and in the courts. Other issues include covert spending, G ramm‐ R udman, I ran‐ C ontra, item vetoes, legislative vetoes, and efforts in recent decades to control the national debt.