Which branch has the authority to approve funding for government programs?

Which branch has the authority to approve funding for government programs?

• A. The President
• B. Congress
• C. The Supreme Court
• D. The States

Answer: (B)

Funding for government programs comes from Congress because that branch holds the power of the purse. The Constitution assigns Congress the authority to tax and to authorize expenditures through appropriation bills. These bills provide the legal authority to spend money and must flow through the legislative process—originating in the House, then moving through both houses and being signed by the President to become law. The President can propose budgets and can sign or veto appropriations, but cannot single-handedly approve funds. The Supreme Court interprets laws, not funding amounts, and states fund their programs with their own budgets. So the branch that approves funding is Congress.