Diplomacy & Politics Glossary

A constitutional provision that authorizes government spending only if approved by the legislature through specific appropriations.

Legislative acts that allocate specific funding for government programs and agencies.

An appropriations bill authorizes government spending for specific programs or departments.

A legislative committee responsible for determining the specific allocation of funds to government agencies and programs.

A provision added to an appropriations bill that may be unrelated to the main purpose of the bill.

A legislative process that expedites the passage of budget-related bills by limiting debate and amendments. It is often used to implement fiscal policies efficiently.

A legislative limit on the amount of national debt that the government is authorized to borrow to meet its obligations.

A debt deficit occurs when government expenditures exceed revenues, increasing national debt.

The amount by which government expenditures exceed its revenues in a fiscal year.

Government spending on programs and policies that are decided through annual appropriations processes rather than mandated by law.

The annual budget plan submitted by the executive branch outlining government spending priorities and revenue estimates.

The financial relations and distribution of taxing and spending powers among different levels of government.

Incremental budgeting adjusts previous budget amounts slightly for the new fiscal period instead of creating budgets from scratch.

The power of an executive to reject specific provisions of a budget or bill without vetoing the entire document.

Efforts to increase transparency and public participation in the government budgeting process.

The study and management of government revenue, expenditure, and debt.

A legislative procedure in some governments that expedites the passage of budget-related bills by limiting debate and amendments.

A budgeting method where every expense must be justified for each new period, starting from zero.