Fought over contending interests, ideologies, programs, and agencies - use stakes and strategies to achieve goals

Agencies submit their budgets, OMB assesses budget and conveys President's decisions to agencies, reviews estimates, then budget is determined and submitted to Congress.

Authorizes all federal appropriations

Established a fixed budget calender, a budget committee in each house, and the CBO.

1. Budget reconciliation: program authroizations revised to achieve required savings.
2. Authorization bill: establishes, continues, or changes a govt program. Requires an additional appropriations bill to fund these programs.

Mandated maximum allowable deficit levels, and if Congress failed to meet the deficit goals, automatic across-the board spending cuts were to be ordered by President.

Often, Congress failed to meet its own budgetary timetable, and Presidents have submitted budget proposals containing large deficits.
When divided, Congress has resorted to continuing resolutions