Government Accountability Office
GAO Glossary of Terms Used in the Federal Budget Process
Summary
The Government Accountability Office (formerly the General Accounting Office) periodically has published a glossary of terms which set forth definitions of terms and concepts used in the “Federal Budget Process”. The most recently issued version of this document is from September 2005. This glossary is authoritative and used by Congress, the Executive branch, and other entities with an interest in Federal budget terminology, particular in the area of accounting and economics. The legal aspects of the terminology are helpful, but the central importance are in these two areas.
Glossary of Terms Used in the Federal Budget Process
(September 2005)
[GAO Website]
CONTENTS
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
| N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
A
Accounts for Purposes Other Than Budget Presentation
Accounts Listed in the Standard General Ledger
B
Backdoor Authority/Backdoor Spending
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Reaffirmation Act of 1987
Benefit-Cost Analysis (Economics Term)
Benefit-Cost Analysis (Economics Term)
Budget and Accounting Act of 1921
C
Cash AccountingCash AccountingCash Accounting
Chained Dollars (Economics Term)
Chain Price Indexes (Economics Term)
Combined Statement of Receipts, Outlays, and Balances of the United States Government
Comparative Statement of New Budget Authority
Concurrent Resolution on the Budget
Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974
Consolidated Financial Statement
Constant Dollars (Economics Term)
Consumer Price Index (CPI) (Economics Term)
Continuing Appropriation/Continuing Resolution (often referred to simply as “CR”)
Cost
Cost-Benefit Analysis (Economics Term)
Countercyclical Policy (Economics Term)
Current Dollar (Economics Term)
Current Year
Cyclical Surplus/Deficit (Economics Term)
Cyclically Adjusted Surplus or Deficit (Economics Term)
D
Daily Treasury Statement (DTS)
Discount Rate (Economics Term)
E
F
Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB)
Federal Credit Reform Act (FCRA)
Fiscal Policy (Economics Term)
G
GDP (Gross Domestic Product) (Economics Term)
GDP Price Index (Economics Term)
GNP (Gross National Product) (Economics Term)
Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)
Government-Sponsored Enterprise (GSE)
H
[No entries]
I
Implicit Price Deflator (Economics Term)
J
K
[No entries]
L
M
Mid-Session Review of the Budget
Mixed-Ownership Government Corporation
Monetary Policy (Economics Term)
Monthly Treasury Statement (MTS)
N
National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA)
Net Present Value (Economics Term)
Nominal Dollar (Economics Term)
O
P
Present Value (Economics Term)
Program and Financing Schedule
Program, Project, or Activity (PPA)
Q
[No entries]
R
Real Economic Growth (Economics Term)
Real Measures (Economics Term)
S
Sequestration (Budget Enforcement Act Term)
Standard General Ledger (SGL) Chart of Accounts
Statement of Federal Financial Accounting Standards (SFFAS)
Structural/Standardized Budget Surplus/Deficit (Economics Term)
Structural Surplus/Deficit (Economics Term)
T
Technical and Economic Assumptions
Transfer Payment (Economics Term)
U
Uncollected Customer Payments from Federal Sources
Undistributed Offsetting Receipts
Unemployment Rate (Economics Term)
V
W
Wholly-Owned Government Corporation
X
[No entries]
Y
[No entries]
Z
[No entries]
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Note: Government Accountability Office, “A Glossary of Terms Used in the Federal Budget Process”; September, 2005; pp. 2-101.
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