12.6 Setting the Federal Budget

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a key difference between mandatory and discretionary spending in the federal budget?

• Mandatory spending is required by law, while discretionary spending is determined through the annual appropriations process.

• Discretionary spending is required by law, while mandatory spending is determined annually.

• Mandatory spending only includes defense, while discretionary spending includes social programs.

• Discretionary spending cannot be changed by Congress.

Multiple Choice

Which category receives the largest portion of discretionary spending in the United States federal budget?

• Social Security

• Medicare

• Defense Discretionary

• Other Mandatory

Multiple Select

Which of the following are methods used to create the executive branch's budget proposal? Choose the 2 correct answers.

• Incremental Budgeting

• Zero-Based Budgeting

• Performance Budgeting

• Priority-Based Budgeting

Multiple Select

Which of the following statements are parts of the budget process? Select 3 that apply.

• The Senate and House of Representatives approve their own budget bills.

• The judicial branch decides if the budget is constitutional.

• A committee reconciles the budgets prepared by the Senate and the House of Representatives to create one budget.

• The president signs or vetoes a budget.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes the purpose of a continuing resolution (CR) in the budget process?

• It allows the government to keep operating at previous funding levels until a new budget is agreed upon.

• It consolidates all budgetary items into a single bill.

• It increases funding for all government programs.

• It eliminates the need for Congress to pass a budget.

Multiple Choice

Which response best explains how the line-item veto would affect the budget?

• allow Congress the power to overturn the president's wishes on the budget

• combat wasteful spending

• encourage the president not to use the pocket veto

• give the executive branch more power to further balance the branch's power

Multiple Choice

What is the difference between mandatory and discretionary spending in the federal budget?

• Mandatory spending is required by law and cannot be changed easily, while discretionary spending is decided by Congress each year.

• Mandatory spending is for defense only, while discretionary spending is for social programs.

• Mandatory spending is optional, while discretionary spending is required by law.

• Mandatory spending is only for emergencies, while discretionary spending is for regular expenses.