Impoundment Trends: Fiscal Year 1977 through 1988
Abstract
This thesis examines rescissions and deferrals of budget authority made by Presidents Carter and Reagan from 1977 through 1988. Trends in the use of rescissions and deferrals are analyzed to determine the purpose of and the extent to which the President uses impoundment to control the pace of spending. The data collected for this period indicated that impoundment was used to influence policy more often than was intended by Congress. The President used impoundment to influence federal spending for more specific reasons. These include the use of impoundment to alter his predecessor's budget to establish different spending priorities and maintain spending priorities when faced with reduced partisan political support in Congress. The President appears to have inflated the budget submission for fiscal year 1985, and then impounded that budget at increased levels upon re-election. Impoundment recommendations of national defense programs do not appear regional in their distribution. Presidential impoundment of appropriated funds is a tool, given the executive by Congress, to manage the pace of spending. The authority to impound funds was granted to the President in the Antideficiency Act. An impoundment reduces the amount of budget authority available to a department or agency for use on a particular program or project. This results in fewer dollars being spent than were appropriated by Congress. Impoundment exists because the executive branch, as it executes government programs, is in the unique position of being able to routinely effect efficiencies and savings in the spending process.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA205895
Entities
People
- Scott K. Salley
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School