Working the federal budget : a guide / George D. Krumbhaar.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 243-253) and index.

Acknowledgements -- Abbreviations -- Before we even get started -- Power, the constitution, congress, and the federal system of government -- Getting a handle on the budget: why it has taken so long with still so far to go -- Budget concepts : the basics -- Budget concepts : the linear approach -- Budget concepts : the cross-cutting approach -- The budget and appropriations cycle -- Anatomy of an appropriations bill -- Taxes and tax policy -- Federal credit and insurance programs -- The budget and the economy -- The budget and government performance -- Federalism and the budget -- Controlling the budget in a partisan environment -- Statutes and executive orders cited -- Bibliography -- Index.

"What do nude beaches and catfish have to do with the federal budget? Quite a bit, it turns out. Working the Federal Budget fills the need for an unvarnished, readable guide to how the federal government collects money and spends it. Centuries of political struggles over the size and funding of government have produced a dense set of budget-related laws, procedures, court decisions and outright improvisations. The resulting rules are legion, complex, and remain a secret to many. In this book, author George D. Krumbhaar unravels the complexity with a journalist's eye for clarity and a lawyer's eye for detail, explaining the system, plainly laying out the laws that lie behind it, and identifying the players that are central to decision making at various stages in the process. With chapters covering the grandiose (why we have such big deficits) and the picayune (PAYGO and its importance) in fascinating and often entertaining detail, Working the Federal Budget provides an invaluable and critical exploration of the who, the what, and the why of the budget process for readers with an interest in government relations and how the government functions--whether from Capitol Hill, the executive branch, "K Street," postgraduate studies or even civic concern" -- From the publisher.