Essay Example on US Budget: Allocating Resources to Take Care of People's Needs

Introduction

The budget describes the detail of values that a majority if the American people identify with regarding the use of national resources. How public resources are spent in taking care of the needs of the people is detailed in the budget. The allocation of resources to various expenditure overheads is meant to take care of the welfare and development of various aspects of the nation. As a result of the multiple interests that the budget has to incorporate, that makes it a complicated process. Resultant of the numerous complexities, the budgeting process has had to be involved in numerous changes that are meant to streamline the various activities that go into its preparation. Based on the power of the purse, the constitution allows congress to mobilize financial resources within its limits. Initially, there were various loopholes in the budgetary process, which created inconveniences, therefore necessitating a series of changes.

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The evolution of the budget is as a result of numerous processes that were modified, as well as the formation of numerous agencies, all targeting efficiency. For example, in evolution, there is the Office of Management and Budget, whose role is the supervision of executive branch agencies and the preparation of the budget proposal to Congress. Furthermore, because of the evolution of the budgeting process, there is a rnment accountability office, whose role is auditing and monitoring government operations and spending (Capretta, 2018). As a result of the evolution of the budget, too, there is the congressional budget office, which serves in the role of providing Congress with accurate information relating to the budgetary and federal economic decisions. Therefore, it is evident that the evolution of the government budget process has involved the creation of a system of checks and balances. The research and oversight framework has the effect of creating transparency and fostering sound economic decisions for the state. Therefore, the various evolutions in the budget process are necessary as they serve to enhance maximum social benefit. Based on the evolution of the budget process, there is an elaborate five-step procedure that is followed to create a budget, starting with the president’s submission of a budget request to the Congress, to signing the appropriations bill at the end.

Relationship between the Executive Branch and Congress

The executive and congress and branches of the government, which are separate but serve the common purpose of creating convenience in government activities. The role of the executive is to enforce and carry out laws, meant to enhance law and order. It is composed of independent agencies, departments, and the presidency. On the part of the Congress, it is composed of the Senate and House of Representatives. The executive responds to the Congress, given that it is the central law-making body in the government. Therefore, in that capacity, the Congress is seen as having superior power to the executive. Congress is charged with the responsibility of debating and writing laws, hence putting it in a superior position in the relationship.

Conclusion

The Congress and executive are two independent bodies; whose independence is meant to be for the interest of the government and nation at large. However, the president can influence the legislation that is developed through his veto powers. It is meant to enhance consistency with his policies and preferences of governance. During normal times, the Congress has a more dominant position in the relationship. It has more power and influence because of the scope of activities that is under it, as described by the Constitution (West, 2018). However, during times when there is a disruption of normalcy, like war, then the executive will assume the dominant position. That is because there is a need to enforce or create laws, which are meant to protect the welfare of the government or the people. Therefore, that is the relationship that exists between the congress and executive branches.

References

Capretta, J. C. (2018). The congressional budget process: A brief primer. AEI Paper & Studies, 1C. https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-531979213/the-congressional-budget-process-a-brief-primer

West, E. G. (2018). Congressional Power over Office Creation. Yale LJ, 128, 166. https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/ylr128&section=6