The Evolution of U.S. Budget Practices

The federal budgeting process can be hard for the average American to comprehend - until now. Economist Dr. Paul Winfree walks us step by step through how Congress passes a budget and all the legislative/political hurdles that get in its way. We cover the historical evolution of the budget process leading up to the word you’ve been hearing every day in the news – reconciliation. We look at how presidents from Nixon to Trump influenced the budget process to pass their agendas. We examine some of the most controversial reconciliation bills over the past decade and how they impacted the economy. And we discuss much needed Medicaid reforms, overhauling the tax system with consumption-based taxation and universal savings accounts, and much more.  

Dr. Paul Winfree is President of the Economic Policy Innovation Center. During the 1st Trump Administration, he was Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council, and Chair of the Deputies Committee that managed policy implementation across federal agencies. He is the author of "The History (and Future) of the Budget Process in the United States." Follow him on X at @paulwinfree.