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The United States budget comprises the spending and revenues of the U.S. federal government.The budget is the financial representation of the priorities of the government, reflecting historical debates and competing economic philosophies.
The United States budget process is the framework used by Congress and the President of the United States to formulate and create the United States federal budget.The process was established by the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, [1] the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, [2] and additional budget legislation.
The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 (Pub. L. 67–13, 42 Stat. 20, enacted June 10, 1921) was landmark legislation that established the framework for the modern federal budget. The act was approved by President Warren G. Harding to provide a national budget system and an independent audit of government accounts. The official title of this act ...
An increasing percentage of the federal budget became devoted to mandatory spending. [3] In 1947, Social Security accounted for just under five percent of the federal budget and less than one-half of one percent of GDP. [8] By 1962, 13 percent of the federal budget and half of all mandatory spending was committed to Social Security. [3]
As the co-heads of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are promising to slash at least $2 trillion from the federal budget.
The budget grew substantially as well. In 1939, federal receipts of the administrative budget were 5.50 percent of Gross National Product, GNP, while federal expenditures were 9.77 percent of GNP. These numbers were up significantly from 1930, when federal receipts averaged 3.80 percent of GNP while expenditures averaged 3.04 percent of GNP.
As of the fiscal year 2019 budget approved by Congress, national defense is the largest discretionary expenditure in the federal budget. [14] Figure C provides a historical picture of military spending over the last few decades. In 1970, the United States government spent just over $80 billion on national defense.
Congress has a long history of using gimmicks to reduce government spending and balance the budget, but these efforts have not been successful, as evidenced by the current budget situation.