power of the purse

Cultural  

1. The influence that legislatures have over public policy because of their power to vote money for public purposes. The United States Congress must authorize the president's budget requests to fund agencies and programs of the executive branch. (See appropriation.)

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Example Sentences

But perhaps the most powerful tool that Congress has is its power of the purse, outlined in Article 1 of the Constitution.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026

They’re so large they’re unlikely to happen, and they raise serious questions about American governance and the power of the purse.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 21, 2025

That is Article I, Section 9—the bedrock of Congress’s power of the purse.

From Barron's • Oct. 6, 2025

“The legislature’s power of the purse is the ultimate check on the ... power of the executive.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2025

He chose to fight Claudia with the one weapon he had—the power of the purse.

From "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg