OPEN BUDGET QUESTIONNAIRE

Transcription

1 Interntionl Budget Project OPEN BUDGET QUESTIONNAIRE UNITED STATES October 2005 Interntionl Budget Project Center on Budget nd Policy Priorities 820 First Street, NE Suite 510 Wshington, DC

2 This questionnire ws completed by: Nme: Jim Horney nd Mgd Cojnu Orgniztion: Center on Budget nd Policy Priorities Address: 820 First Street, NE, Suite 510 Wshington, DC Telephone: (202) E-mil: Internet Website: 2

3 Interntionl Budget Project OPEN BUDGET QUESTIONNAIRE UNITED STATES Section One: The Avilbility of Budget Documents...4 Tble 1. Budget Yer of Documents Used in Completing the Questionnire... 5 Tble 2. Internet Links for Key Budget Documents... 6 Tble 3. Distribution of Documents Relted to the Executive s Budget Proposl... 7 Tble 4. Distribution of the Encted Budget nd Other Reports... 8 Section Two: The Executive s Budget Proposl...9 Estimtes for the Budget Yer nd Beyond Estimtes for Yers Prior to the Budget Yer Comprehensiveness The Budget Nrrtive & Performnce Monitoring Additionl Key Informtion for Budget Anlysis & Monitoring Section Three: The Budget Process...52 Executive s Formultion of the Budget Legisltive Approvl of the Budget Executive s Implementtion of the Budget Executive s Yer-End Report nd the Supreme Audit Institution

4 Section One: The Avilbility of Budget Documents 4

5 Tble 1. Budget Yer of Documents Used in Completing the Questionnire Plese indicte the budget yer of the document used to complete the questionnire. If the document is not vilble to the public, plese stte, Not Avilble. Budget Documents Used in Completing the Questionnire As explined in the guide to the questionnire, documents from vriety of fiscl yers re referred to throughout the questionnire. Plese indicte below for which fiscl yer responses to questions relting to ech report or experience were bsed on. Budget Yer Used Pre-Budget Sttement Not Avilble Budget Summry 2005 Executive s Budget Proposl 2005 Supporting Budget Documents 2005 Citizens Budget Not Avilble Encted Budget 2005 In-Yer Reports 2005 Mid-Yer Report 2005 Yer-End Report 2005 Audit Report

6 Tble 2. Internet Links for Key Budget Documents Plese provide the Internet link for the document, or indicte one of these three nswers: Not Produced, Produced, But Not Avilble to the Public, Publicly Avilble, But Not on the Internet. Budget Document Website Pre-Budget Sttement Budget Summry Executive s Budget Proposl Supporting Budget Documents Citizens Budget Encted Budget In-Yer Reports Mid-Yer Review Yer-End Report Audit Report Other Documents Relevnt Ministries & Deprtments Not Produced Overview of the President's FY 2005 Budget President's FY 2005 Budget Anlyticl Perspectives, Historicl Tbles, etc. Not Produced President s FY 2006 Budget Approprition legisltion for FY 2005 Congressionl Budget Office estimtes of encted legisltion Monthly Tresury Sttements (min pge) 2005 Mid-session Review of the Budget Finl Monthly Tresury Report for Fiscl Yer Combined Sttement of Receipts, Outlys nd Blnces 2005 Finncil Report 2005 GAO's Auditor Report US Tresury - Finncil Mngement Service Publictions Office for Mngement nd Budget US Deprtment of Tresury Government Accountbility Office US House Budget Committee US Sente Budget Committee US House Appropritions Committee US Sente Appropritions Committee Congressionl Budget Office House Wys nd Mens Committee Sente Finnce Committee Joint Tx Committee 6

7 Tble 3. Distribution of Documents Relted to the Executive s Budget Proposl DISTRIBUTION OF BUDGET DOCUMENTS For the following reports, plce Yes in the pproprite row below to indicte if the report is: A. Not produced, even for internl purposes Yes Min document Executive s Budget Proposl Budget summry* Supporting Document 1 Additionl Document 2 B. Produced for internl purposes, but not vilble to the public C. Produced nd vilble to the public, but only on request D. Produced nd distributed to the public (for exmple, in librries, posted on the Internet.) Yes Yes Yes Yes For budget reports tht re produced nd distributed to the public, wht steps does the executive tke to distribute these reports nd to promote interest in them? For ech chrcteristic, mrk Yes if yes, No if no, or NA if Not Avilble. Prebudget Prebudget Min document Executive s Budget Budget summry* Supporting Document 1 Additionl Document 2 Citizens budget Yes Citizens budget 1. The relese dte is known t lest one month in dvnce NA Yes Yes Yes Yes NA 2. Advnce notifiction of relese is sent to users, NA Yes Yes Yes Yes NA medi 3. Relesed to public sme dy s officil relese to medi NA Yes Yes Yes Yes NA 4. Avilble on the Internet free of chrge NA Yes Yes Yes Yes NA 5. Free print copies vilble, limited distribution NA NA NA NA NA NA 6. Free print copies vilble, mss distribution NA Yes Yes Yes Yes NA 7. Redily vilble outside cpitl nd/or big cities + NA Yes Yes Yes Yes NA 8. Written in more thn one NA No No No No NA lnguge 9. News conference is held to discuss relese NA Yes Yes Yes Yes NA *A budget summry should be stnd-lone document, which could include budget speech or seprtely published executive summry. + Mrk Yes if ccess by mil order or by Internet, if Internet service is redily vilble outside the cpitl nd/or big cities. 7

8 Tble 4. Distribution of the Encted Budget nd Other Reports DISTRIBUTION OF ENACTED BUDGET AND OTHER REPORTS For the following reports, plce Yes in the pproprite row below to indicte if the report is: A. Not produced, even for internl purposes Encted budget In-yer reports Mid-yer review Yer-end report Audit report B. Produced for internl purposes, but not vilble to the public C. Produced nd vilble to the public, but only on request D. Produced nd distributed to the public (for exmple, in librries, posted on the Internet.) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes For budget reports tht re produced nd distributed to the public, wht steps does the executive tke to distribute these reports nd to promote interest in them? For ech chrcteristic, mrk Yes if yes, No if no, or NA if Not Avilble. Encted budget In-yer reports Mid-yer review Yer-end report Audit report 1. The relese dte is known t lest one month in dvnce 2. Advnce notifiction of relese sent to users, medi 3. Relesed to public sme dy s officil relese to medi 4. Avilble on the Internet free of chrge 5. Free print copies vilble, limited distribution 6. Free print copies vilble, mss distribution No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes NA NA NA NA NA Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 7. Redily vilble outside cpitl/big cities + Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 8. Written in more thn one lnguge No No No No No 9. News conference is held to discuss relese No No Yes Yes Yes + Mrk Yes if ccess is vilble by mil order or by Internet, if Internet service is redily vilble outside the cpitl nd/or big cities. 8

9 Section Two: The Executive s Budget Proposl Notes on bbrevitions: BY = budget yer (yer for which the budget proposls re being mde) BY+1 = one yer beyond the budget yer BY-1 = one yer before the budget yer 9

10 Plese mrk your nswer by plcing the pproprite letter in the box to the right of the question. For ll nswers mrked not pplicble/other, plese provide brief explntion indicting either why the nswer choices provided re not pplicble or why nother response would be more pproprite. The Executive s Budget Proposl Estimtes for the Budget Yer nd Beyond 1. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present expenditures for the budget yer tht re clssified by dministrtive unit (tht is, by ministry, deprtment, or gency)?. All expenditures re clssified by dministrtive unit. b. Expenditures re clssified by dministrtive unit, but some smll units re not shown seprtely. c. Expenditures re clssified by dministrtive unit, but significnt number of units re not shown seprtely. d. No expenditures clssified by dministrtive unit re presented. Cittion nd/or comment: President's FY 2005 Budget - Tble S-3, pg. 368 contins discretionry budget uthority figures by government gency. In the Historicl Tbles section of the budget, Tble 4-1(pp. 71) shows totl outlys by gency, nd Tble 5-2(pp. 94) shows totl budget uthority by gency. Totls for some smll units re not shown individully in these summry tbles. However, ech gency's budget (President s FY 2005 Budget, pg ) contins detiled dt for ech gency. Peer Reviewer ONE Comment: An dditionl point is tht detiled budget estimtes re presented by ech mjor deprtment to the congressionl ppropritions committees. These estimtes go below the 1300 budget ccounts to include detiled estimtes on specific progrms nd ctivities t more specific level thn tht presented in the president s budget itself. These documents re clled Justifictions of Estimtes nd re not lwys vilble to the public. Tble S-3 (which is on pge 367, not 368) shows discretionry new budget uthority by gency, but not mndtory new budget uthority. Therefore, the tble only covers bout one-third of totl new spending. In ddition to the summry tble nd the gency budget informtion in the min budget document on pp , even more detiled informtion by dministrtive unit is provided in the Budget Appendix Volume (1268 pges). [My pgintion refers to the hrd copy; the questionnire respondent my be viewing the document online nd referring to the pge number of the PDF file.] 10

11 2. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present expenditures for the budget yer tht re clssified by functionl clssifiction?. All expenditures re clssified by functionl clssifiction, nd the ctegoriztion is comptible with interntionl stndrds. b. All expenditures re clssified by functionl clssifiction, but the ctegoriztion is not comptible with interntionl stndrds. c. Some, but not ll, expenditures re clssified by function. d. No expenditures clssified by function re presented. Cittion nd/or comment: Tble 5-1 Budget Authority by Function nd Subfunction: (FY 2005 Historicl Tbles, pg ). Tble 5-1 (which ends on pge 93, not 110), covers from 1976 (not 1949) through Also, informtion on outlys by functionl clssifiction is provided in Tble 3-1 (Outlys by Superfunction nd Function: ), on pp , nd in Tble 3-2 (Outlys by Function nd Subfunction: ), on pp Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present expenditures for the budget yer tht re clssified by economic clssifiction?. All expenditures re clssified by economic clssifiction, nd the ctegoriztion is comptible with interntionl stndrds. b. All expenditures re clssified by economic clssifiction, but the ctegoriztion is not comptible with interntionl stndrds. c. Some, but not ll, expenditures re clssified by economic clssifiction. d. No expenditures clssified by economic clssifiction re presented. Cittion nd/or comment: Object Clss Anlysis (FY 2005 Budget Supporting Mterils) Resercher Response to Comment: It would not hurt to dd Chpter 14 nd the NIPA brekdown of spending to the cittion, but it seems to me tht the Object Clss brekdown of spending does pretty well (lthough not exctly) trck wht the IMF clls the economic clssifiction of expense. Peer Reviewer ONE Comment: A more pproprite support for the nswer is Chpter 14 of Anlyticl Perspectives which lloctes budget request bsed on Ntionl Income nd Product Account ctegories. 11

12 4. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present expenditures for individul progrms for the budget yer?. Progrm-level dt re presented for ll expenditures. b. Progrm-level dt re presented for t lest two-thirds of, but not ll, expenditures. c. Progrm-level dt re presented, but for less thn two-thirds of expenditures. d. No progrm-level dt re presented. Cittion nd/or comment: Tble 26-1 Budget Authority nd Outlys by Function, Ctegory nd Progrm (Anlyticl Perspectives, CD-ROM). This tble, though prt of the Anlyticl Perspectives (supporting budget document) ws not initilly published in the online version of the budget. It ws ttched to the hrd-copy of the budget document s CD-ROM. It ws posted on-line t lter dte thn the dte of relese of the budget documents. Resercher Response to Comments: The gency Justifictions of Estimtes re not necessrily esy to find for the verge citizen (lthough, I think they would be subject to the Freedom of Informtion Act or FOIA). But, I think tht the level of detil provided in the budget documents themselves (including the ppendix) is sufficient to sy tht the budget provides progrm-level dt. As peer reviewer 2 points out, there is no ccepted definition of progrm. So, while there re times when people would like more disggregted dt thn is in the min budget documents, it is hrd to mke cler cut cse tht those documents do not provide progrm dt. (And, the Justifictions surely do, lthough they re less ccessible.) Peer Reviewer ONE Comment: The specific progrms supported by the budget request re often not itemized in the president s budget itself, nor in Tble 26-1 of Anlyticl Perspectives. Rther, the specific estimtes for ech progrm ctivity re found in the Justifiction of Estimtes prepred by ech gency nd delivered to ppropritions committees. However, the nswer is correct in tht progrm level dt re presented for ll expenditures in either the president s budget or gency Justifiction of Estimtes. While Tble 26-1 is useful, nd crries the term Progrm in its title, the budget dt re quite ggregted. There is no stndrd definition of the term progrm with respect to federl budgeting, nd mny observers would regrd progrm-level detil s much less ggregted thn wht Tble 26-1 presents. The Budget Appendix volume presents obligtions (n intermedite step between budget uthority nd outlys) on progrmmtic bsis in the Progrm nd Finncing Schedule under 1,000+ budget ccounts. However, the most detiled, progrm-level dt is provided subsequent to the president s budget submission, in the justifiction mterils tht ech gency presents to Congress during its justifiction of the president s proposls before House nd Sente committees. 12

13 5. In the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion, re estimtes of the ggregte level of expenditure presented for multi-yer period (t lest two yers beyond the budget yer)?. Yes, multi-yer estimtes of ggregte expenditure re presented. b. No, multi-yer estimtes of ggregte expenditure re not presented. c. Not pplicble/other (plese comment). Cittion nd/or comment: Tble S-1 (FY Budget, pg. 365) 6. In the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion, is more detil thn just the ggregte level presented for expenditure estimtes tht cover multi-yer period (for t lest two yers beyond the budget yer)?. Yes, multi-yer expenditure estimtes re presented for ll individul progrms, nd for one or more expenditure clssifiction (such s functionl, economic, or dministrtive). b. Yes, multi-yer estimtes re presented for one or more expenditure clssifiction (such s functionl, economic, or dministrtive), but only for some individul progrms. c. Yes, multi-yer estimtes re presented, but only for portion of one or more of the expenditure clssifictions (such s some functions, or some dministrtive units) nd/or for only some individul progrms. d. No, multi-yer estimtes re presented for ggregte expenditure only, or they re not presented t ll. b Cittion nd/or comment: Multi-yer expenditure dt clssified by dministrtive unit nd function cn be found in Section 5 s tbles in the FY 2005 Historicl Tbles, (pg ). There re no multi-yer expenditure figures for most individul progrms, but such figures re shown for number of mjor progrms in Tbles 8.5 nd 11.3 in tht volume. The lst tble in Section 5 ends on pge 109, not

14 7. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion identify the different sources of tx revenue (such s income tx or VAT) for the budget yer?. All sources of tx revenue re identified individully. b. Sources of tx revenue mounting to t lest two-thirds of, but not ll, tx revenues re identified individully. c. Sources of tx revenue mounting to less thn two-thirds of ll tx revenues re identified individully. d. No sources of tx revenue re identified individully. Cittion nd/or comment: Tble 16-1 Receipts by Source - Summry nd Tble 16.4 Receipts by Source (FY 2005 Budget Anlyticl Perspectives, pg. 239 nd pg. 269). Tble 16.4, pg Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion identify the different sources of non-tx revenue (such s grnts, property income, nd sles of goods nd services) for the budget yer?. All sources of non-tx revenue re identified individully. b. Sources of non-tx revenue mounting to t lest two-thirds of, but not ll, nontx revenues re identified individully. c. Sources of non-tx revenues mounting to less thn two-thirds of ll non-tx revenue re identified individully. d. No sources of non-tx revenues re identified individully. Cittion nd/or comment: Tble 17-2 Totl User Chrges Collections nd Tble 16.5 Offsetting Receipts by Type, (FY 2005 Budget Anlyticl Perspectives, pg. 274 nd pg. 282). A reltively smll mount of revenue tht my be regrded s non-tx in nture (e.g., fines, penlties, gifts) is identified in the tbles cited under question 7 (Tbles 16.1 nd 16.4 in the Anlyticl Perspectives volume). 14

15 9. In the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion, re estimtes of the ggregte level of revenue presented for multi-yer period (t lest two yers beyond the budget yer)?. Yes, multi-yer estimtes of ggregte revenue re presented. b. No, multi-yer estimtes of ggregte revenue re not presented. c. Not pplicble/other (plese comment). Cittion nd/or comment: Tble 16-1 Receipts by Source - Summry (FY 2005 Budget Anlyticl Perspectives, pg. 239) includes only tx-revenue. There re no ggregte revenue figures presented, s user chrges fees re subtrcted from outlys, nd not dded to txes nd other government receipts. Tble 17 2 Users Chrges Fees contins non-tx revenue figures for multi-yer period s well. Tble 17-2 is entitled, Totl User Chrge Collections. 10. In the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion, is more detil thn just the ggregte level presented for revenue estimtes tht cover multi-yer period (for t lest two yers beyond the budget yer)?. Yes, multi-yer revenue estimtes re presented for individul sources of revenue, nd by revenue clssifiction (such s tx nd non-tx). b. Yes, multi-yer estimtes re presented by revenue clssifiction (such s tx nd non-tx), but only for some individul sources of revenue. c. Yes, multi-yer estimtes re presented, but only for some individul sources of revenue. d. No, multi-yer estimtes re presented for ggregte revenue only, or they re not presented t ll. Cittion nd/or comment: See comment in Question 9. 15

16 11. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present dt on the totl government debt outstnding for the budget yer?. Yes, the dt reflect the outstnding debt both t the strt of the budget yer nd t the end of the budget yer (nd thereby reflect the net borrowing requirement of the budget). b. Yes, the dt reflect the outstnding debt t the end of the budget yer. c. Yes, the dt reflect the outstnding debt t the strt of the budget yer. d. No, dt on the outstnding debt re not presented. Cittion nd/or comment: Tble S- 17 Federl Government Finncing nd Debt (FY 2005 Budget Summry Tbles, pg ). 12. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present interest pyments on the debt for the budget yer?. Yes, interest pyments on the debt re presented. b. No, interest pyments on the debt re not presented. c. Not pplicble/other (plese comment). Cittion nd/or comment: Tble S-12 Budget Summry by Ctegory, (FY 2005 Budget, pg. 386), Tble 3-1 Outlys by Superfunction nd Function: , (FY 2005 Historicl Tbles, pg. 47). Tble 3-1 runs through pge 52, where the budget-yer dt re presented. 16

17 13. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present informtion relted to the composition of government debt (such s interest rtes on the debt, mturity profile of the debt, currency denomintion of the debt, or whether it is domestic nd externl debt) for the budget yer?. Yes, extensive informtion relted to the composition of government debt is presented. b. Yes, key dditionl informtion is presented, but some detils re excluded. c. Yes, some dditionl informtion is presented, but it lcks importnt detils. d. No, dditionl informtion relted to the composition of government debt is not presented. b Cittion nd/or comment: The discussion of federl debt (Chpter 15 Federl Borrowing nd Debt - Anlyticl Perspectives, pg. 223) includes historicl dt on totl government debt nd interest, nd on foreign holdings of government debt (Tble 15-6 Foreign Holdings of Federl Debt, pg. 235). Further informtion bout the composition of government debt, such s mturity profile, is provided by the Deprtment of the Tresury, but it is not included in budget documents. 14. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present the mcroeconomic forecst upon which the budget projections re bsed?. Yes, n extensive discussion of the mcroeconomic forecst is presented, nd key ssumptions (such s infltion, rel GDP growth, unemployment rte, nd interest rtes) re stted explicitly. b. Yes, the mcroeconomic forecst is discussed nd most of the key ssumptions re stted explicitly, but some detils re excluded. c. Yes, there is some discussion of the mcroeconomic forecst (nd/or the presenttion of key ssumptions), but it lcks importnt detils. d. No, informtion relted to the mcroeconomic forecst is not presented. Cittion nd/or comment: Chpter 11 Economic Assumptions, (FY 2005 Anlyticl Perspectives, pg. 169). 17

18 15. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion show the impct of different mcroeconomic ssumptions (i.e., sensitivity nlysis) on the budget (including expenditures, revenues, nd debt)?. Yes, extensive informtion on the impct of mcroeconomic ssumptions on the budget is presented, including both nrrtive discussion nd quntittive estimtes. b. Yes, informtion is presented, highlighting the impct of the mjor mcroeconomic ssumptions, but some detils re excluded. c. Yes, some informtion is presented, but it lcks importnt detils. d. No, informtion on the impct of different mcroeconomic ssumptions on the budget is not presented. Cittion nd/or comment: Chpter 11 Economic Assumptions. A summry of this sensitivity nlysis is presented in Tble 11-6, Sensitivity of the Budget to Economic Assumptions (FY Anlyticl Perspectives, pg. 180). 18

19 16. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present informtion for t lest the budget yer tht shows how policy proposls in the budget, s distinct from existing policies, ffect expenditures?. Yes, extensive informtion on the impct of policy proposls on expenditures is presented, including both nrrtive discussion nd quntittive estimtes. b. Yes, informtion is presented, highlighting the impct of key policy proposls on expenditures, but some detils re excluded. c. Yes, some informtion is presented, but it lcks importnt detils. d. No, informtion on the impct of policy proposls on expenditures is not presented. Cittion nd/or comment: Proposed pproprition lnguge for ech ccount is included in the FY 2005 Budget Appendix. Effects of proposed chnges in lws governing mndtory progrms re shown in Tble S-8 Mndtory Proposls in the FY 2005 Budget. An overview of the impct of the president s proposls, encompssing discretionry spending, mndtory spending, nd revenues, is presented in Summry Tble S-15 (Impct of Budget Policy) on pge 389 of the min budget document. The current services bseline, ginst which the policy proposls generlly re mesured, is summrized in Tble S-14 (Current Services Bseline Summry by Ctegory), on pge 388, nd djustments to tht bseline re shown in Tble S-16 (Bseline Adjustments), on pge 380. (In ddition, the current services bseline is discussed in detil in Chpter 24 (Current Services Estimtes) of the Anlyticl Perspectives volume, on pges ) The impct of the president s spending proposls re exmined in more detil in other summry tbles, principlly Tble S-8 (Mndtory Proposls), s indicted bove, on pp , nd Tble S-2 (Discretionry Totls), on pge 366. While the effect of the mndtory proposls is mesured ginst the bseline, the discretionry proposls re compred to the current levels. 19

20 17. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present informtion for t lest the budget yer tht shows how policy proposls in the budget, s distinct from existing policies, ffect revenues?. Yes, extensive informtion on the impct of policy proposls on revenues is presented, including both nrrtive discussion nd quntittive estimtes. b. Yes, informtion is presented, highlighting the impct of key policy proposls on revenues, but some detils re excluded. c. Yes, some informtion is presented, but it lcks importnt detils. d. No, informtion on the impct of policy proposls on revenues is not presented. Cittion nd/or comment: Effects of proposed chnges in revenues lws re shown in Tble S-9 Effect of Proposls on Receipts in the FY 2005 Budget. Chpter 16 Federl Receipts of the FY 2005 Anlyticl Perspectives contins detiled description of effects of policy proposls on revenues (pg ). Tble 16-3 contins summry of these effects. Chpter 16, cited bove, begins on p. 245, not 246. Estimtes for Yers Prior to the Budget Yer 18. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present expenditures for the yer preceding the budget yer (BY-1) tht re clssified by dministrtive unit (tht is, by ministry, deprtment, or gency)?. All expenditures re clssified by dministrtive unit for BY-1. b. Expenditures re clssified by dministrtive unit for BY-1, but some smll units re not shown seprtely. c. Expenditures re clssified by dministrtive unit for BY-1, but significnt number of units re not shown seprtely. d. No expenditures clssified by dministrtive unit re presented for BY-1. Cittion nd/or comment: Sme s for Question 1. Here, nd for subsequent questions, when referred bck to previous question, look bck t my comments on tht question s well. 20

21 19. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present expenditures for the yer preceding the budget yer (BY-1) tht re clssified by functionl clssifiction?. All expenditures re clssified by functionl clssifiction for BY-1, nd the ctegoriztion is comptible with interntionl stndrds. b. All expenditures re clssified by functionl clssifiction for BY-1, but the ctegoriztion is not comptible with interntionl stndrds. c. Some, but not ll, expenditures re clssified by function for BY-1. d. No expenditures clssified by function re presented for BY-1. Cittion nd/or comment: Sme s for Question Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present expenditures for the yer preceding the budget yer (BY-1) tht re clssified by economic clssifiction?. All expenditures re clssified by economic clssifiction for BY-1, nd the ctegoriztion is comptible with interntionl stndrds. b. All expenditures re clssified by economic clssifiction for BY-1, but the ctegoriztion is not comptible with interntionl stndrds. c. Some, but not ll, expenditures re clssified by economic clssifiction for BY-1. d. No expenditures clssified by economic clssifiction re presented for BY-1. Cittion nd/or comment: Sme s for Question 3. 21

22 21. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present expenditures for individul progrms for the yer preceding the budget yer (BY-1)?. Progrm-level expenditure dt re presented for ll expenditures for BY-1. b. Progrm-level expenditure dt re presented for t lest two-thirds of, but not ll, expenditures for BY-1. c. Progrm-level expenditure dt re presented, but for less thn two-thirds of expenditures for BY-1. d. No progrm-level expenditure dt re presented for BY-1. Cittion nd/or comment: Sme s for Question In the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion, how mny months of ctul dt re reflected in the expenditure estimtes of the yer prior to the budget yer (BY-1)?. All BY-1 estimtes hve been updted from the originl encted levels to reflect six or more months of ctul expenditure. b. All BY-1 estimtes hve been updted from the originl encted levels, but reflect less thn six months of ctul expenditure. c. Some BY-1 estimtes hve been updted from the originl encted levels to reflect ctul expenditure. d. The BY-1 estimtes hve not been updted from the originl encted levels, or no BY-1 estimtes re presented. b Cittion nd/or comment: As the budget is trnsmitted to the Congress less thn 6 months fter the beginning of the yer, BY-1 estimtes reflect less thn 6 months of expenditure. (See pg. 402 of Anlyticl Perspectives for brief description of bsis for the BY dt). The description, cited bove, is found on pg. 390 of the Anlyticl Perspectives volume. The entire volume is only 394 pges long. The cited pge, 402, is the pge number of the online PDF file, not the printed document. This potentil source of confusion needs to be ddressed. 22

23 23. In the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion, re estimtes of the ggregte level of expenditure presented for yers tht precede the budget yer by more thn one yer (tht is, BY-2 nd prior yers)?. Yes, such prior-yer estimtes of ggregte expenditure re presented. b. No, such prior-yer estimtes of ggregte expenditure re not presented. c. Not pplicble/other (plese comment). Cittion nd/or comment: FY 2005 Historicl Tbles: Tble 1.1 (pg. 21). Such figures re referred to s ctuls rther thn estimtes. 24. In the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion, is more detil thn just the ggregte level presented for expenditure estimtes tht cover yers preceding the budget yer by more thn one yer (tht is, BY-2 nd prior yers)?. Yes, such prior-yer expenditure estimtes re presented for ll individul progrms, nd for one or more expenditure clssifiction (such s functionl, economic, or dministrtive). b. Yes, such prior-yer estimtes re presented for one or more expenditure clssifiction (such s functionl, economic, or dministrtive), but only for some individul progrms. c. Yes, such prior-yer estimtes re presented, but only for portion of one or more of the expenditure clssifictions (such s some functions, or some dministrtive units) nd/or for only some individul progrms. d. No, such prior-yer estimtes re presented for ggregte expenditure only, or they re not presented t ll. Cittion nd/or comment: FY 2005 Historicl Tbles: Section 5: Budget Authority (on nd off budget) (pg. 82) for the dministrtive nd functionl clssifiction. Object Clssifiction for the economic clssifiction nd Anlyticl Perspectives, Supplementl Mterils Tble 26-1 for progrm level dt (only BY-2 dt re vilble). Peer Reviewer ONE Comment: Agin, mny specific progrms re only itemized in the Justifiction of Estimtes document produced by federl gencies. 23

24 25. In the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion, wht is the most recent yer presented for which ll expenditures reflect ctul outcomes?. Two yers prior to the budget yer (BY-2). b. Three yers prior to the budget yer (BY-3). c. Before BY-3. d. No ctul dt for ll expenditures re presented in the budget or supporting budget documenttion. Cittion nd/or comment: 26. Are the expenditure estimtes for the yers prior to the budget yer djusted, s needed, to be comprble with the budget-yer estimtes in terms of clssifiction nd presenttion?. Yes, prior-yer dt re lwys djusted to be comprble to the budget yer dt. b. Yes, in most cses, prior-yer dt re djusted to be comprble. c. Yes, in some cses, prior-yer dt re djusted to be comprble, but significnt devitions between prior-yer nd budget-yer clssifictions exist. d. No, prior-yer dt re not djusted to be comprble, or no prior-yer estimtes re presented. Cittion nd/or comment: Pre-1992 credit progrm spending hs not been djusted to be consistent with the chnges mde in the Credit Reform Act of 1990, which (strting in 1992) required credit progrm expenditures to be recorded in the budget on net present vlue bsis rther thn csh bsis. 24

25 27. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion identify the different sources of tx revenue (such s income tx or VAT) for the yer preceding the budget yer (BY-1)?. All tx revenues re identified individully for BY-1. b. Tx revenues mounting to t lest two-thirds of, but not ll, tx revenue for BY-1 re identified individully. c. Tx revenues mounting to less thn two-thirds of ll tx revenues for BY-1 re identified individully. d. No tx revenues re identified individully for BY-1. Cittion nd/or comment: Sme s Question Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion identify the different sources of non-tx revenue (such s grnts, property income, nd sles of goods nd services) for the yer preceding the budget yer (BY-1)?. All non-tx revenues re identified individully for BY-1. b. Non-tx revenues mounting to t lest two-thirds of, but not ll, non-tx revenue for BY-1 re identified individully. c. Non-tx revenues mounting to less thn two-thirds of ll non-tx revenues for BY-1 re identified individully. d. No non-tx revenues re identified individully for BY-1. Cittion nd/or comment: Sme s Question 8. 25

26 29. In the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion, how mny months of ctul dt re reflected in the revenues estimtes of the yer prior to the budget yer (BY-1)?. All BY-1 estimtes hve been updted from the originl estimtes to reflect six or more months of ctul revenue collections. b. All BY-1 estimtes hve been updted from the originl estimtes, but reflect less thn six months of ctul revenue collections. c. Some BY-1 estimtes hve not been updted from the originl estimtes to reflect ctul revenue collections. d. The BY-1 estimtes hve not been updted from the originl estimtes or no BY-1 estimtes re presented. b Cittion nd/or comment: Sme s for Question In the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion, re estimtes of the ggregte level of revenues presented for yers tht precede the budget yer by more thn one yer (tht is, BY-2 nd prior yers)?. Yes, such prior-yer estimtes of ggregte revenue re presented. b. No, such prior-yer estimtes of ggregte revenue re not presented. c. Not pplicble/other (plese comment). Cittion nd/or comment: FY 2005 Historicl Tbles: Tble 1.1 Summry of Receipts, Outlys nd Surpluses (pg. 21) nd Tble 15-1 Totl Government Receipts (pg. 288). 26

27 31. In the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion, is more detil thn just the ggregte level presented for revenue estimtes tht cover yers preceding the budget yer by more thn one yer (tht is, BY-2 nd prior yers)?. Yes, such prior-yer revenue estimtes re presented for individul sources of revenue, nd by revenue clssifiction (such s tx nd non-tx). b. Yes, such prior-yer estimtes re presented by revenue clssifiction (such s tx nd non-tx), but only for some individul sources of revenue. c. Yes, such prior-yer estimtes re presented, but only for some individul sources of revenue. d. No, such prior-yer estimtes re presented for ggregte revenue only, or they re not presented t ll. Cittion nd/or comment: FY 2005 Historicl Tbles: Section 2 (pg. 29). 32. In the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion, wht is the most recent yer presented for which ll revenues reflect ctul outcomes?. Two yers prior to the budget yer (BY-2). b. Three yers prior to the budget yer (BY-3). c. Before BY-3. d. No ctul dt for ll revenues re presented in the budget or supporting budget documenttion. Cittion nd/or comment: Peer Reviewer ONE Comment: Answer is is true for ggregte revenues. However, specific ctul outcomes for individul tx expenditures such s mounts of revenue lost due to the mortgge interest deduction re not known with certinty for severl yers, pending IRS (Internl Revenue Service) production of sttisticl smples estimting txpyers behvior. 27

28 33. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present informtion relted to the government debt for the yer preceding the budget yer?. Yes, extensive informtion is presented on the level nd composition of government debt for the yer preceding the budget yer. b. Yes, informtion on the level of debt is presented, but some importnt detils bout the composition of the debt re excluded. c. Yes, but only informtion on the level of debt is presented. d. No, informtion relted to the government debt for BY-1 is not presented. b Cittion nd/or comment: FY 2005 Anlyticl Perspectives (Chpter 15 Federl Borrowing nd Debt pg. 221) contins historicl informtion on government debt. Detils bout the composition of debt (mturity profile, etc.) re not presented in budget documents. 34. In the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion, wht is the most recent yer presented for which the debt figures reflect ctul outcomes?. Two yers prior to the budget yer (BY-2). b. Three yers prior to the budget yer (BY-3). c. Before BY-3. d. No ctul dt for government debt re presented in the budget or supporting budget documenttion. Cittion nd/or comment: 28

29 Comprehensiveness 35. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present informtion for t lest the budget yer on extr-budgetry funds?. Yes, extensive informtion on extr-budgetry funds is presented, including both nrrtive discussion nd quntittive estimtes. b. Yes, informtion is presented, highlighting key extr-budgetry funds, but some detils re excluded. c. Yes, some informtion is presented, but it lcks importnt detils. d. No, informtion on extr-budgetry funds is not presented. Cittion nd/or comment: Peer Reviewer ONE Comment: The nswer does not explin the reson for the choice of e. Theoreticlly, under the federl unified budget, ll governmentl trnsctions re recorded in the federl budget s either revenues or expenditures. However, there is disclosure of trnsctions involving such below the line items s mens of finncing other thn borrowing such s for direct nd gurnteed lon ccounts in Tble 16-5, Anlyticl Perspectives. IBP Comment: IBP editors chose for this nswer to mintin consistency with guidnce provided for completing the questionnire in the IBP Guide to the Open Budget Questionnire, nd to reflect the informtion on socil insurnce schemes tht is included s prt of the unified budget presenttion in the U.S. 29

30 36. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present informtion for t lest the budget yer on intergovernmentl trnsfers?. Yes, extensive informtion on intergovernmentl trnsfers is presented, including both nrrtive discussion nd quntittive estimtes. b. Yes, informtion is presented, highlighting key intergovernmentl trnsfers, but some detils re excluded. c. Yes, some informtion is presented, but it lcks importnt detils. d. No, informtion on intergovernmentl trnsfers is not presented. Cittion nd/or comment: Chpter 8: Aid to Stte nd Locl Governments of the Anlyticl Perspectives volume of the FY 2005 Budget contins extensive informtion bout intergovernmentl trnsfers nd progrms funded by such trnsfers. Section 12 of the FY 2005 Historicl Tbles (pg. 220) contins historicl dt s well s multi-yer projections on grnts to stte nd locl governments. Response to comment: While it might be nice to hve more informtion bout wht shre of grnts re provided s block grnts (lthough the definition of tht is not precise since it depends on somebody s interprettion of flexibility), the lck of tht kind of nlysis does not men tht the coverge of grnts in the budget is incomplete. I lso do not see how the lck of n estimte of regultory costs of mndtes nd preemptions would men tht there is informtion lcking bout intergovernmentl trnsfers. I lso do not believe tht the Congressionl Budget Office (CBO) does provide n estimte of regultory costs of mndtes nd preemptions. They include n nlysis of unfunded mndtes in cost estimtes nd determine whether the cost of such mndtes exceeds the specified threshold, but they do not dd up those costs, much less the costs of existing mndtes. (They do issue report ech yer on CBO s ctivities under UMRA, but tht just tells how mny estimtes were done, how mny mndtes exceeded the threshold, nd some description of the mjor mndtes. It does not sum up costs.) I think is the pproprite response. Peer Reviewer ONE Comment: A more pproprite response to this question would be letter b. While importnt informtion is conveyed, eqully importnt informtion is left out. For exmple, there used to be estimtes bout the shre of grnt funds provided through block grnt or brod bsed grnts, but this ws dropped mny yers go, even though this is vitl indictor of the degree of flexibility vilble to sttes in our system. There is lso no overll estimte of regultory costs of mndtes nd preemptions on the sttes, even though this informtion is presented by the Congressionl Budget Office every yer. IBP Comment: IBP editors chose nswer to mintin consistency of nswers cross countries. 30

31 37. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present informtion for t lest the budget yer on trnsfers to public corportions?. Yes, extensive informtion on trnsfers to public corportions is presented, including both nrrtive discussion nd quntittive estimtes. b. Yes, informtion is presented, highlighting key trnsfers to public corportions, but some detils re excluded. c. Yes, some informtion is presented, but it lcks importnt detils. d. No, informtion on trnsfers to public corportions is not presented. e Cittion nd/or comment: Federl entities tht re involved in commercil ctivities (for instnce the Tennessee Vlley Authority) re government gencies. As such, their trnsctions re included in the budget long with other gencies. As noted bove, the Postl Service is techniclly off-budget, but it is generlly treted s prt of the budget for most purposes. 31

32 38. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present informtion for t lest the budget yer on qusi-fiscl ctivities?. Yes, extensive informtion on qusi-fiscl ctivities is presented, including both nrrtive discussion nd, where possible, quntittive estimtes. b. Yes, informtion is presented, highlighting key qusi-fiscl ctivities, but some detils re excluded. c. Yes, some informtion is presented, but it lcks importnt detils. d. No, informtion on qusi-fiscl ctivities is not presented. c Cittion nd/or comment: The resercher hs mrked this nswer s b : The Bord of Governors of the Federl Reserve is not included in the budget, lthough some informtion bout it is provided in the FY 2005 Budget Appendix. Government Sponsored Entities (GSEs) Fnnie Me, Sllie Me, Freddie Mc, etc provide finncil intermedition for specified public purposes (lending t below-mrket (subsidized) rtes for eduction nd housing). Though estblished by the federl government, they re publicly held nd controlled nd re not directly subsidized by the federl government. As such they re not included in the budget. Generl informtion on their ctivities re provided in Chpter 7 Insurnce nd Credit of the Anlyticl Perspectives, while detiled informtion cn be found in specil sttement, Government Sponsored Entities, from the FY 2005 Budget Appendix. The detiled sttement on GSEs re provided by these entities lone, nd not reviewed by the Administrtion. I think b is correct becuse the informtion provided bout the Federl Reserve in the budget is not complete nd is not subject to review by the president. Despite wht the IMF sys, I don t think tht GSEs qulify s qusi-fiscl government ctivities since the government plys no direct role in their opertions nd provides no direct subsidy or gurntee. The fct tht people think there is n implicit gurntee ginst their filure is not terribly different from their thinking there is n implicit federl gurntee ginst the filure of Bnk of Americ. Response to comment: It seems cler tht the IMF does not include costs nd benefits of federl regultions in generl in its definition of qusi-fiscl ctivities. See Even in cses where regultions my ffect qusi-fiscl ctivities of the privte sector (non-discrimintion in home lons?): It is mtter of judgment whether the privte sector, if clled upon to undertke ctivities of qusi-fiscl nture, should be covered by reports on qusi-fiscl ctivities. In generl, nd s indicted erlier, such ctivities re best exmined from the perspective of trnsprency of regultions. I believe b is the pproprite response. Peer Reviewer ONE Comment: A more pproprite response to this question would be c. Significnt qusi-fiscl ctivities include the costs nd benefits of federl regultion. There is little or no discussion of these importnt governnce tools in the president s budget. IBP Comment: IBP editors chose nswer c in light of the omission of importnt detils included regrding qusi-fiscl ctivities. The IMF hs stted tht the US could strengthen its complince with the Code of Good Prctices on Fiscl Trnsprency by further reporting of qusi-fiscl ctivities relted to GSEs. (e.g. United Sttes: Report on Observnce of Stndrds nd Codes-Fiscl Trnsprency. Plese see pge 1, Executive Summry, nd pges ) 32

33 39. Does the executive's budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present informtion on finncil ssets held by the government?. Yes, extensive informtion on finncil ssets is presented, including listing of the ssets, discussion of their purpose, nd n estimte of their mrket vlue. b. Yes, informtion is presented, highlighting key informtion, but some detils re excluded. c. Yes, some informtion is presented, but it lcks importnt detils. d. No, informtion on finncil ssets is not presented. c Cittion nd/or comment: The resercher mrked the nswer b : See: Chpter 12 Stewrdship from the Anlyticl Perspectives, pg. 181 However, very detiled informtion is included in the Stewrdship Sttement included in the 2005 Finncil Report. Response to comment: Tble 12-1 does provide detiled (lthough ggregted) estimtes. The Finncil Report hs more detiled informtion, so the decision bout whether b or c is more pproprite depends in prt on whether tht is considered supporting informtion. Peer Reviewer ONE Comment: A more pproprite response would be c. The only informtion on government finncil ssets is one prgrph in chpter 12 nd very little beyond in chpter 16 on federl borrowing nd debt. Detils on federl csh holdings re not provided in ny depth. IBP Comment: IBP editors chose nswer c in light of the omission of sttement on finncil ssets in the president s budget. The Finncil Report is not considered supporting document to the president s proposl for the purposes of this study. (The IMF notes the lck of this sttement in pge 17, United Sttes: Report on Observnce of Stndrds nd Codes- Fiscl Trnsprency.) 33

34 40. Does the executive's budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present informtion on non-finncil ssets held by the government?. Yes, extensive informtion on non-finncil ssets is presented, including listing of the ssets, discussion of their purpose, nd (where possible) n estimte of their mrket vlue. b. Yes, informtion is presented, highlighting key informtion, but some detils re excluded. c. Yes, some informtion is presented, but it lcks importnt detils. d. No, informtion on non-finncil ssets is not presented. c Cittion nd/or comment: The resercher mrked the nswer b : See: Chpter 12 Stewrdship from the Anlyticl Perspectives, pg. 181 However, very detiled informtion is contined in the Stewrdship Sttement included in the 2005 Finncil Report of the U.S. Government. Response to comment: The Finncil Report does provide estimtes of the mount of deferred mintennce (pg. 129). It lso breks out ssets under cpitl lese in ggregte (pg. 91). Peer Reviewer ONE Comment: A more pproprite response to this question would be c. Informtion is presented on cpitl owned by the government s well s cpitl finnced by the federl government, but the informtion lcks importnt detils such s informtion on deferred mintennce nd the mens used to finnce cpitl such s lese vs. ownership IBP Comment: IBP editors chose nswer c to reflect omission of importnt detils in the president s budget. The Finncil Report is not considered supporting document to the president s proposl for the purposes of this study. 41. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present informtion for t lest the budget yer on expenditure rrers?. Yes, extensive informtion on expenditure rrers is presented, including both nrrtive discussion nd quntittive estimtes. b. Yes, informtion is presented, highlighting key expenditure rrers, but some detils re excluded. c. Yes, some informtion is presented, but it lcks importnt detils. d. No, informtion on expenditure rrers is not presented. e Cittion nd/or comment: Expenditure rrers do no represent significnt problem in the US. 34

35 42. Does the executive s budget or ny supporting budget documenttion present informtion on contingent libilities (such s government lon gurntees)?. Yes, extensive informtion on contingent libilities is presented, including both nrrtive discussion nd quntittive estimtes. b. Yes, informtion is presented, highlighting key contingent libilities, but some detils re excluded. c. Yes, some informtion is presented, but it lcks importnt detils. d. No, informtion on contingent libilities is not presented. c Cittion nd/or comment: The resercher mrked the nswer b : Federl direct lons nd gurntees re discussed in Chpter 7 Insurnce nd credit of the Anlyticl Perspectives, while Tble 7-10 nd 7-11 of the Supplementl Informtion to the Anlyticl Perspectives provide detiled dt for lons nd gurntees. However, the budget does not contin comprehensive list of ll contingent libilities, nd no informtion ssocited with contingent libilities ssocited with some progrms is included in the budget. (See: IMF ROSC Report on Fiscl Trnsprency in the US.) Response to comment: The Finncil Report does include n estimte of the contingent libility of the PBGC nd the Ntionl Flood Insurnce Progrm. I do not know whether b or c is more pproprite here. There certinly is not lot of informtion bout contingent libilities other thn lon gurntees. Peer Reviewer ONE Comment: A more pproprite response to this question would be c. Importnt informtion on credit is presented, but not for other contingencies such s insurnce nd emergencies Chpter 7 is entitled, Credit nd Insurnce. IBP Comment: IBP editors chose nswer c to reflect omission of importnt detils in the president s budget. The Finncil Report is not considered supporting document to the president s proposl for the purposes of this study. 35