The Federal Budget Process, 2E: A Description of the Federal and Congressional Budget Processes, Including Timelines

Congress is distinguished from nearly every other legislature in the world by the control it exercises over fashioning the government's budgetary policies. This power, referred to as "the power of the purse," ensures Congress' primary role in setting revenue and borrowing policies for the federal government and in determining how these resources are spent.

The congressional power of the purse derives from several key provisions in the Constitution.

Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 (Power to t...