Coercive deficiency

Coercive deficiency is a phrase that originated in study of the executive branch of the American federal government, where it described the process by which budget holders could allow themselves to run out of money prior to the end of a fiscal period, on the assumption that Congress would then feel morally obligated to supply the missing funding in order to prevent cessation of services or breach of contracts.[1]

The phrase was coined by American political economist and historian Lucius Wilmerding, Jr.[2] in his 1943 book The Spending Power: A History of the Efforts of Congress to Control Expenditures.[3]

The first attempt to control for coercive deficiency requests to Congress was the Anti-Deficiency Act of 1870, which prevented agencies from obligating more funds than had been appropriated by Congress.[4][5] Historians have documented examples of coercive deficiencies at the U.S. Post Office in 1879 and 1947 and at the Defense Department.[6]

References
  1. Jensen, John E. (2006). Quick reference to federal appropriations law (2nd ed.). Vienna, Va.: Management Concepts. p. 149. ISBN 1567261760.
  2. "Paid Notice: Deaths WILMERDING, LUCIUS JR". New York Times. 20 August 2002. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  3. Kiewiet, D. Roderick; McCubbins, Mathew D. (1991). The logic of delegation: congressional parties and the appropriations process ([Nachdr.]. ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 213–249. ISBN 0226435318.
  4. Rabin, ed. by Jack (2003). Encyclopedia of public administration and public policy. New York, NY [u.a.]: Dekker. pp. 101. ISBN 0824709462.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  5. Wildavsky, Aaron (1980). How to limit government spending. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 98. ISBN 0520042271.
  6. Kiewiet, D. Roderick; McCubbins, Mathew D. (1991). The logic of delegation: congressional parties and the appropriations process ([Nachdr.]. ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 221. ISBN 0226435318.
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